EAST EUROPEAN ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE, INTERCONNECTIONS, AND ELECTRICITY EXCHANGES

This paper discusses East and Central European Electricity Infrastruct ure, Interconnections and Electricity Exchanges following segregation of the republics of former USSR and independence of East European coun tries, and likely developments in future years. It focuses on the pres ent and future state of the electric power sector, future expansion of European power systems, co-operation, new capacity, separation of pow er systems in former USSR countries, the direction of reforming the in dustry, interstate relations in the fuel and energy complex, and impac t of privatisation on electricity supply. First, power sector problems in countries in transition are reviewed. Serious deficiencies in elec tricity supply affect economic reforms, and lack of investment togethe r with poor operational performance plague the power industry, particu larly in the republics of former USSR. Important issues of the CENTREL power companies: Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak are discussed, f or example, (a) improvement in quality of the power systems, (b) inter connection with the UCPTE system, (c) co-ordination of co-operation wi th other power systems, and (d) beneficial energy transactions. Develo pment of technical solutions of future operation with eastern neighbou rs including back-to-back couplers are also discussed. The German Powe r System following unification requiring synchronous operation of the East-West power networks is commented on together with new interconnec ting lines for synchronising the systems late in 1995. Discussed also are technical, economic, financial and legal aspects of exchanging abo ut 4GW between Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany using a multi-termi nal HVDC transmission system and the idea of a Baltic Ring forming a m eshed interconnection around the Baltic Sea. Problems of co-operation in former USSR are also reviewed. Highlighted is the fuel and energy c omplex, rate of new capacity commissioning, use of existing generating ,capacity, and separation of power systems in a number of republics fr om the Unified Grid Network. Dynamics of changes in basic indexes such as installed capacity, electric power generation and consumption in c ountries of the Commonwealth of Independent States' (CIS), and in elec tric power an energy exchanger in CIS countries and between Eastern Eu rope are also discussed. The paper then examines the role of Russian P ower Systems in the future Unified Electrical Power System of the Euro -Asian Continent. In the foreseen future, a chain of power systems str etching from Beijing to Madrid with total length exceeding 10,000km wi ll be interconnected, comprising national grids of China, Siberia, Kaz akhstan, Russia, Southwest republics of former USSR, East Europe and W est Europe.