24.07.2025
The absurdity of a situation where a crane truck, heading to repair damage to the power grid, receives a fine worth thousands is obvious. The activities of the Distribution System Operator’s (DSO) emergency crews are, by their urgency, analogous to the work of other emergency services. Yet, the problem exists and leads to significant financial losses and critical delays in repairing damage to electrical networks.
To resolve this, Energy Club, an association of leading companies in Ukraine’s energy sector, has appealed to the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC) to support an initiative to exempt special-purpose vehicles used for emergency repairs of power grids from dimensional and weight control (DWC). The most effective solution is to amend Resolution No. 1306 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, specifically by adding an exception to clause 22.5 of the Traffic Rules for “specialized and/or special-purpose vehicles used by distribution system operators during emergency restoration work.” Energy Club had previously appealed to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine and received a formal response: the special vehicles of distribution system operators (DSOs) are not currently on the list of exceptions to DWC rules, unlike the transport of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and other emergency services.
Energy Club has declared its readiness to provide all available analytics, including data from DSOs on the number of fines and the time delays in restoring electricity supply. “We are convinced that through joint efforts, we will be able to solve this problem, which is critically important for the resilience of our country,” emphasized Andrii Kostrytsia, President of Energy Club.
The Club has sent official appeals to the heads of distribution system operators (DSOs) as part of a systemic effort to combat fines for exceeding dimensional and weight norms (DWC) for special vehicles performing emergency restoration work. The collected data will be summarized and used in an anonymized form to prepare joint appeals to the NEURC, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and relevant parliamentary committees. We are convinced that by joining forces, we can prove our position and achieve this vitally important change.
In an exclusive interview with the Energy Club media department, Borys Popov, Chairman of the Board of JSC Sumyoblenergo, spoke about the specifics of a DSO’s work in a frontline territory, the consequences of fining special vehicles used for emergency power grid repairs, and the impossibility of solving the problem alone.
– How would you generally characterize the problem with dimensional and weight control (DWC) for your company’s emergency crews? Are these isolated cases or a systemic phenomenon?
– It is a systemic phenomenon when crane trucks with certain characteristics pass through automatic weight-in-motion systems. Furthermore, it is theoretically possible that similar cases could occur when vehicles pass through mobile weight control points.
– How acute is this problem right now, in the context of constant shelling and the need for the most rapid restoration of damaged networks?
– JSC “Sumyoblenergo” carries out its licensed activity as a distribution system operator in the Sumy region. Since the Sumy region borders the Russian Federation (the state border is 563.8 km long), a significant part of our DSO’s electrical networks is located in territories of possible or active hostilities. To date, several thousand of the company’s facilities have already been damaged. This includes a significant number of high-voltage substations where the majority of equipment requires replacement. Substation equipment has a large mass, some pieces weighing tens of tons, and it is impossible to replace it without a crane truck with the appropriate specifications.
Furthermore, in the event of damage to high-voltage overhead line (OHL) towers, the involvement of suitable crane trucks is also necessary, as one such tower can be up to 26 meters long and weigh up to 7 tons.
Therefore, in conditions of constant shelling, the involvement of a crane truck is critically important for the rapid restoration of electricity supply when replacing substation equipment or 35-110 kV OHL towers.
As an example: two fines were issued for using a crane truck for the urgent restoration of one of the high-voltage OHLs. The transit through this OHL is critically important for the stable electricity supply of one of the districts in the region, as it ensures a reliable supply to about 50,000 consumers. Accordingly, this transit is of strategic importance both for our company and the adjacent licensee, as it is part of a transit scheme for power transmission between neighboring regions.
– What are the main types of special vehicles (crane trucks, aerial platforms) that exceed DWC norms and cause problems most often?
– In our experience, this problem arises with crane trucks that have specific parameters necessary to perform a range of tasks with oversized and heavy equipment.
– What de-energized facilities require rapid restoration of electricity supply? Are we talking about critical infrastructure facilities (hospitals, military units, schools, water supply systems)?
– In most cases, due to massive attacks on the energy sector, the mentioned critical infrastructure facilities are also de-energized. As noted earlier, it is impossible to replace such equipment without a crane truck.
– On average, how much time does a crew lose due to one such stop, including paperwork and other procedures?
– Considering the average number of authorities and institutions with which coordination procedures must be carried out—no less than 14 days.
– The Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, in its response to Energy Club (ref. No. 17148/40/10-25 dated 15.07.2025), suggests appealing each resolution individually. How realistic and effective is this mechanism in your conditions?
– This mechanism is not realistic, as judicial practice shows decisions both to cancel such resolutions and to uphold them, despite identical situations and initial data, meaning it is completely ambiguous. In our practice, three resolutions were appealed, but the final decision was not in our favor. As a result, our employees were fined. Two more are currently under appeal, but given the above, there is little optimism for a positive decision in favor of the DSO.
– On average, how much time and human resources (work of lawyers, logisticians) are spent on supporting and appealing one such fine?
– Appealing each such fine includes the following key stages: studying the materials; studying the legislation; the court of first instance; the court of second instance. Of course, all this is carried out by specialists with the appropriate qualifications. In addition, other departments are directly or indirectly involved in this process – from operational units to those that transport specialists to participate in court hearings. In terms of time, again from our practice, appealing one such fine takes 6-7 months.
– What percentage of appeals are successful? Would it be possible to get a refund, and if so, after how long?
– As of today, there have been no successful appeals.
– Do you have summarized statistics: how many fines for DWC violations has your company received, for example, in the last year or since the beginning of the full-scale invasion? What is the total amount of these fines? Could it be said that these funds could have been directed to purchasing new equipment or materials for repairs?
– This problem became acute for us in July 2024. During this period, five fines were imposed on our employees; three cases have already been lost, and two are in the appeal stage. The total amount of the fines is UAH 170,000. Regarding the alternative use of funds—the question is not relevant, as they were collected from the employees, not from the company.
– Energy Club proposes to amend clause 22.5 of the Traffic Rules to add DSO special transport to the list of exceptions. Do you support such an initiative? Do you consider it the only possible solution to the problem?
– After this problem arose, we sought more detailed clarifications from the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, as well as from the State Road Transport Research and Project Institute of this ministry. We received a response that stated the norms of the current legislation.
At the same time, we turned to the Energy Club with this problem, and they reacted rapidly: they took up the issue, studied the problem, and immediately moved to active measures, for which we want to express our separate gratitude.
In turn, we appealed to the Sumy Regional Military Administration with a request to initiate before the Cabinet of Ministers amendments to the legislation that would allow DSO special vehicles to proceed to eliminate emergency situations without hindrance.
Therefore, of course, we unequivocally support the Energy Club’s initiative and are grateful for it. We consider the Club’s pertinent proposal to be the only option for solving the problem that has arisen.
– If you had the opportunity to appeal directly to the leadership of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure, what would you tell them about this situation?
– It must be rectified at the legislative level without delay.
