Time and epoch of oil and gas fields` exploitation in Western Siberia fall at 1950s–1960s, oil and gas transportation to the European part of the country boosted the rapid development of energy system in Tyumen region.
Tyumen TPP — the closest and the main source of centralised power supply — became the first power facility in the system. From there, within a very short time, a high-voltage line was built which connected Tyumen with the unified energy system of the Urals.
Surgut was selected as the optimal location for the construction of the region`s own generating facilities. Institutes, specialised trusts, departments from Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Novosibirsk, Omsk, St. Petersburg, Odessa and other cities of the country were engaged in the design and construction of power facilities in Tyumen region.
Construction of Surgut GRES-1 kept an accelerated pace, the start of its first unit took place in February 1972. Construction of the GRES new power units continued, every year a new unit entered into operation. This is how the creation of one of the largest Russian power complexes has started.
By the time of Surgut GRES-1 first facilities started up, a power company — Surgut Power Grids — was founded in the city. The company was distinguished by its location — two thirds of the territory, defined as its future area of responsibility, lay beyond the 60th parallel. However, the company`s work to the south of that parallel was not easy either.
The construction of a power transmission line across the Ob River with the building of a unique river crossing which for a long time remained unmatched in the USSR is one of the most striking examples of overcoming difficult challenges.
In the early 1970s, oil industry workers received not only an opportunity for further development, but also a certain advance since the functioning GRES power units` generated excess power, which formed a foundation for the development of high-capacity 500kV grids.
With the start-up of the second Reftinskaya GRES — Tyumen — Surgut 500 kV backbone power line, a kind of Power Bridge was created between the Urals and the Ob region through Tyumen. Surgut GRES-1 became part of the Unified Energy System in the country, and Tyumen TPP began supplying heat to Tyumen.
In the latter half of the 1970s, power consumption rose sharply due to change from free flow to mechanised oil recovery method. Growing use of electrically driven equipment resulted in an increase in energy consumption of up to 20% per year — several times higher than the average in USSR. Nizhnevartovsk power unit showed the most dynamic growth. Thus, the decision to build new generating facilities was coming.
The first 500 kV transmission line, built in Nizhnevartovsk region in 1977 operated at 220kV until 1979, when it was switched to the rated voltage. The same year, the reserves of Surgut GRES-1 were exhausted and Tyumen region felt deficit of power supply. Power deficit growing trends were obvious despite the rapid start-up of Surgut GRES-1 second stage power units. This deficit was made worse by the drawbacks connected with incomplete 110–500 kW electric networks, lack of backup and cross-feeding, extremely long radial lines. Successful at the early stages of development, management structure of Tyumen power industry within Sverdlovsk power supply system became ineffective.
The need to build a new power system emerged of the Tyumen region. Piotr Neporozhny, Minister of Energy and Electrification of the USSR, believed that its administration centre should be located in Surgut, which had become by that time the actual energy heart of the region.
In 1979, Ural power engineers handed over to Tyumen power engineers the administration of substantial power facilities: two operating power stations and one under construction, five power grids. The power plants rated capacity was 2894 MW at that time, the electric networks were 12 thousand km long, with dozens of substations of total transformer capacity nearly 12 million kVA — this was the basis for the newly constructed grid.
Organization of district power administration ran parallel with reorganization of Tyumen energy complex administration and development framework at the Ministry level. Soon after its establishment, Tyumen energy system was separated from Glavuralenergo and included in the newly created All-Union Soyuzzapsibenergo Industrial Association.
On May 3, 1979, by Order No.60 of the USSR Ministry of Energy and Electrification, regional energy administration JSC Tyumenenergo was established based on RPA Sverdlovenergo power companies located in Tyumen region. By the mid 1980`s, the energy system was ranked first among over a hundred other energy systems of the industry in terms of investment and development pace.
Urals power engineers passed a remarkable legacy to Tyumen citizens, but power plants and power grid enterprises was only a symbol at this stage. It became a matter of urgency to create units, which could make it possible for a power system to perform all of its functions, not just electric power industrial and transmission.
Within a very short time, the electric power industry of Tyumen region developed into the largest and, in many respects, a unique power complex.
With several years` interval, branches of JSC Tyumenenergo were established in the towns of Khanty-Mansijsk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts.
On September 14, 1988 by Order No.358 of Ministry of Energy and Electrification of the USSR, Tyumen regional energy administration was eliminated, and Tyumen Industrial Association of Energy and Electrification JSC Tyumenenergo was created based on its subordinate enterprises and organizations.
In November 1992, it was decided that JSC Tyumenenergo, as a whole, would join RAO UES of Russia as a subsidiary joint stock company. In the second half of the 1990s, Tyumen energy system has become among one of the most powerful producers of electricity in the country.
Gross installed electric capacity of the seven power stations makes up more than 10 million kW, their thermal capacity is about 7000 Gcal/h.
In terms of capacity of Russian power industry, it is second only to Mosenergo, satisfying the full demand of the whole of the Tyumen region. About 25% of the electricity it generates goes to the adjacent regions of Russia — the Urals, Omsk, the Volga region, etc.
The distance between the energy facilities along the meridian runs from the subarctic to the forest-steppe zone and reaches 1500 km, and more than 1000km along the latitude. The length of high-voltage electrical grids is 58 thousand km, of which 500 kV lines make over 5000km. Out of 650 high-voltage substations with the installed capacity of 50 million KW, fifteen stations operate at a voltage of 500kV. This situation was unique in the global power industry. At JSC Tyumenenergo, 80% of all its facilities are located north of 60th parallel, in the areas with thousands of lakes, rivers and swamps. The difference between summer and winter temperatures is up to 80°C.
In 1993, under the State Privatization Program in the Russian Federation, OJSC Tyumenenergo was established as a legal successor of the state enterprise, Tyumen Industrial Association of Energy and Electrification JSC Tyumenenergo. Three years later, OJSC Tyumenenergo was re-registered as JSC Tyumenenergo.
By 2000, JSC Tyumenenergo became one of the biggest power companies in the country.
The Joint Stock Company comprises 21 self-standing enterprises: seven power stations with total capacity 10, 421 MW, 12 electrical grid companies, and repair and service divisions.
In accordance with Government Resolution No. 526 “On reforming of electric power industry of the Russian Federation” dated July 11, 2001, a decision was made to reform JSC Tyumenenergo being part of RAO UES of Russia. As a result, four power stations (Urengoy, Nizhnevartovsk and two Surgut GRES) joined the wholesale generating companies (WGC). Tyumen TPP-1 and TPP-2, Tobolsk TPP became part of the territorial generating company (TGC), and 12 grid companies merged into a single distribution grid company. During the reformation years, by resolution of the sole shareholder — RAO UES of Russia the functions of the sole executive body of JSC Tyumenenergo were transferred to a managing company. Since December 16, 2001, the Company was managed by JSC “Urals Energy Management Company”, since October 3, 2005 by OJSC “Interregional Distribution Grid Company of the Urals and the Volga”
In 2005, electricity sales function was transferred to a dedicated company JSC “Tyumen Energy Retail Company” and “Main Power Network of West Siberia”, a branch of JSC FGC UES, was established based on JSC Tyumenenergo 220/500 kV power grid facilities belonging to the Unified National Electric Grid (UNEG)
In 2007, the configuration of JSC Tyumenenergo as an interregional distribution grid company was approved without changing the name.
At present JSC Tyumenenergo — one of the largest interregional distribution grid companies in the country — is a subsidiary of JSC Rosseti. Nine branches of the Company possess 643 substations of 35–220 kV with installed transformer capacity about 27, 000 MVA. The circuit length of maintained transmission lines is over 48 thousand kilometres. The Company produces 71.5 billion kWh of electricity output annually, or about 87.8% of the electricity transmission market in Tyumen region.