How is the Zelva wind farm inside?

If you ask an ordinary Belarusian what his city settlement is associated with, two things come to mind — Zelvenskoye Reservoir and a wind farm (by the way, the second in the Grodno region). For the Zelvens themselves, 6 wind turbines in the Tatarishki tract have become an integral element of the urban landscape. With the outside of the “question” we are familiar with a lot of photos and selfies. And how does the wind farm work from the inside?

As part of the investment agreement between the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee and Zilant LLC, in 2015 a wind farm construction project was approved. Why in Zelva? As the founder of Zilant, Vladimir Garbuz, explains, it’s better not to find a place: open hilly terrain and a nearby reservoir allow the wind to “clear up”. In addition, Zelva’s convenient logistics (P99 route) made it possible to deliver the necessary structural elements: each installation weighs about 200 tons. Literally after 3 years, the company erected 6 wind generators and an electrical substation with a total capacity of 10 megawatts. The project cost 5 million euros. The company plans to recoup costs within 5 years. Electricity supply volumes are being met — everything is going according to plan.

By the way, wind turbines were imported from Europe.The Danish company Vestas is considered the largest producer of wind generators in the world. This is a quality that has been proven over the years, ”says Vladimir Garbuz. — Vestas wind turbines rotate in Germany, USA, Denmark, India, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and other countries.

As part of the investment agreement between the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee and Zilant LLC, in 2015 a wind farm construction project was approved. Why in Zelva? As the founder of Zilant, Vladimir Garbuz, explains, it’s better not to find a place: open hilly terrain and a nearby reservoir allow the wind to “clear up”. In addition, Zelva’s convenient logistics (P99 route) made it possible to deliver the necessary structural elements: each installation weighs about 200 tons. Literally after 3 years, the company erected 6 wind generators and an electrical substation with a total capacity of 10 megawatts. The project cost 5 million euros. The company plans to recoup costs within 5 years. Electricity supply volumes are being met — everything is going according to plan.

By the way, wind turbines were imported from Europe.The Danish company Vestas is considered the largest producer of wind generators in the world. This is a quality that has been proven over the years, ”says Vladimir Garbuz. — Vestas wind turbines rotate in Germany, USA, Denmark, India, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and other countries.

As for the technical parameters, the power of each V66 wind turbine is 1.65 megawatts.

“The electricity generated by the Zelvensky wind farm would be enough to fully provide electricity to the Zelvensky and Dyatlovsky districts,” says the director of Zilant LLC. — But we supply electricity to the general network of the Grodnoenergo RUE. The company distributes electricity to consumers in the Grodno region in accordance with tariffs established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

The wind farm in Tatarishki is served by 4 employees: an energy engineer and electricians.

“These forces are enough to ensure the smooth operation of six modules,” says Alexander Plavsky, repair and maintenance engineer. — Each installation has ultra-sensitive sensors. Both Zilant and Grodnoenergo will know about the slightest troubles — information is broadcasted online.

Despite the fact that the work of the wind farm is fully automated (each specialist has software installed on the smartphone that allows you to remotely monitor the operation of each of the windmills), and there are surveillance cameras all over the place, specialists are constantly on duty at the station. Among their tasks is to inspect what smart electronics do not see.

Daily workers examine each of the facilities. Only 3 out of 6 are equipped with an elevator — those that are 78 meters high. On smaller windmills (67 m), you have to climb the stairs. Safety measures are above all: men are “insured” with special climbing equipment.

“Only for the first time, scary,” Alexander admits. — You quickly get used to the height.

Zelvensky windmills are capable of producing noise in the range of up to 100 decibels maximum. This is the same as hearing a subway car (7 meters outside or inside a moving car) or peals of thunder in the distance. According to specialists working in the wind farm, truly wind turbines are “heard” in the rain or fog when the blades literally “cut the moisture”.

Inside the towers there is a hum exactly like in the subway.

“After all, this, in fact, is the electric motor,” the engineer explains. — There, above, the kinetic energy of the wind flow turns into electrical energy. The current from the generator, being converted into a transformer, descends to the ground via a high-voltage cable. And then — straight to the substation.

On the territory of the wind farm there are warning signs that limit the approach of unauthorized persons to a distance closer than 400 meters. In the autumn, winter and spring periods, wind generators are very dangerous: ice forms on the blades (each 33 m). In winter, when the wind is especially strong and the windmills rotate even faster, pieces of ice the size of a brick or more fall from a height!

Experts recommend not to enter the territory of the wind farm, because this is not a tourist site.

Ekaterina SERGEY