DTEK Donetskoblenergo restored power supply back on to 550 families living in Granite village, Volnovakha district, that had been cut off since 7 November because of fighting. To bring electricity back to the frontline village, repair crews built a new power transmission line of over 5 km long.
On 7 November 2015, shells damaged the high-voltage transmission line supplying power to Granite village from Telmanove substation and cut off 18 transformer stations, including 10 DTEK Donetskoblenergo stations, leaving the villagers without electricity.
On 22 November, DTEK Donetskoblenergo power engineers received a green corridor and could examine the line and determine the scope of works. The company decided to build a new overhead power line from Volnovakha. Repair teams of Volnovakha and Volodarske district electricity networks of DTEK Donetskoblenergo worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to erect towers and lay cables as soon as possible. The new line is more than 5 km long and has 120 towers and about 15 km of cables installed.
“DTEK Donetskoblenergo could not repair the damaged power line because it is based in the non-government controlled area where we have no access. To restore electricity supply back on to the villagers, the company decided to build a new high-voltage transmission line in the government-controlled area,” said Oleksandr Kozhukhar, technical director of DTEK Donetskoblenergo. “It was very difficult to work there as the new line goes over the rough and rocky terrain. We were going to complete repairs on 17 December. We understand very well how difficult it is for the frontline residents to live without any electricity and heating, so we were working every day, seven days a week, to complete repairs as soon as possible. Therefore, we finished restoration works ahead of schedule and turned the power supply back on to the village on 11 December.”