History of Ovit

The National Power Line Company Ltd. (OVIT) is connected closely to the construction, operation, maintenance and modernization of the Hungarian national grid. The company was founded in 1949 as National Company for Power Line Construction, and in 1951 it was merged with the National Power Line Company. At the foundation the company took over the operation of 257 km 60 kV and 330 km 100 kV power lines, as well as five substations from the Hungarian Transdanubian Electricity Company.

After the 2nd World War the rehabilitation and improvement of the industry gave large task to the national electric power supply. The damaged or removed power plants had to be rebuilt, the national grid repaired and fixed. Ovit raised the voltage-level of 60 and 100 kV previously constructed power lines to 110 kV, then in 1952 to 120 kV, and with this event the several-year'' long amalgamation process of the national grid started. The extension of international grid connections also became faster.

The grid improvement conception of the sixties set the establishment of 400/120 kV voltage-level national and international co-operative grid as an aim. In 1965 Ovit started to construct the first 400 kV power line and substation (Göd). The intellectual and material capital gained in this work Ovit could use in the ''70s, when the company came up against a task, which was unique all over the world: construction of a 750 kV power line between Hungary and Ukraine. Ovit always creates new technologies, uses the most up-to-date devices, uses own developed and manufactured tools and small machines with large professional experience. Meanwhile the company obtained international professional acknowledgement for constructing and mounting power lines abroad.

Ovit executed its task on the national grid according to the raised demands of the system, and looked for undertaking possibilities more frequently. One of the important business areas of the company is the transport and transportation of large machinery. This activity was specialized to moving the equipment for power plants and substations but it was increased, and today this section performs the transportation of not only electrical but also other special, heavy and long goods.

In 31st December, 1991 Ovit was transformed and as its legal successor the National Power Line Company Ltd. was established. The company carried out radical organizational change helping to be adapted to the changed external circumstances.

The leaders of the company, the units of Economic, Operational and Construction Divisions are always working together in the biggest harmony. The managing sections continuously contribute to the organizational, human resource, financial and legal conditions of the national grid activities and other undertakings with up-to-date devices. In 1996 Ovit established and applied a quality system suiting the DIN EN ISO 9001 standard ''s requirements.

The integration to Western-European united system claimed new technological demands against the Hungarian grid. In 1993 MVM started a comprehensive project called the Modernisation of the Operation-Control System (ÜRIK). Ovit took part in the establishment of the system ''s basic principles, planning, execution of new telemechanical subcenters, and the preinstallation work of the new system.

Reconstruction and enlargement of Hévíz, Toponár, Felsőzsolca 400/120 kV substations were executed by Ovit, and a new 220/120 kV substation at Ócsa is constructed at present. In the spirit of the Hungarian- Slovenian-Croatian co-operation Ovit constructed a double circuit 400 kV power line between Hévíz and the frontier.

 
 
Hungary has been the associated member of the UCTE system since 1st. January 1999. A requirement of this membership was to provide secondary reserve power plant capacity. For this purpose MVM established 125 MW capacity quick-start gas turbines at substations Litér and Sajószöged. Ovit, as the subcontractor of French EGT, was planning and fitting the significant part of electrical technological work. In 1999 building of another gas turbine power plant was started in the investment of MVM. In the project Ovit carried out the construction work and electrical technological mounting of 120 kV switchyard, the settlement of auxiliary metal clad switchboard, the laying of 120 kV cable, the transport and installation of 120 kV block transformer. On the commission of MVM, the properly-qualified technicians of Ovit ZRt.’s Operational Division operated the three gas turbine power plant util 31th May, 2000. Since that time GTER Ltd. – which was established for this special purpose- has carried out this work.

One of the most important undertakings of Ovit beside the electricity industry is the participation in the modernization of the energy supply of the Budapest-Hegyeshalom railway line. Ovit won the tender of MÁV (Hungarian State Railways), and as the main contractor performed the reconstruction and modernization of the substations of MÁV Nagyszentjános, Tatabánya and Kimle. The project involved building an entirely new substation, too (Substation Biatorbágy). With the good references of this project Ovit obtains several considerable commissions to different railway modernization work. In 1998 the Construction Division started the modernisation of 3 railway lines (Balatonszentgyörgy-Murakeresztúr, Székesfehérvár-Szombathely, Rákospalota-Vácrátót)as a subcontractor of SIEMENS. The work lasted until 15 th December 2000. including the construction and commissioning of new substations (Balatonszentgyörgy, Veszprém, Zalakomár, Celldömölk, Kanizsavár, Szombathely, Istvántelek), the connecting power line and transportation work, installation of protection and control systems, manufacturing and settlement of low voltage auxiliary switchboards.

As a consequence of the development of the telecommunication system the establishment of optical cable network in Hungary also has been emphasized. As main contractor Ovit takes a significant role in the establishment of the optical signal transmitting network in Hungary and performs the mounting of optical signal transmission cables on new or operating power lines.

Through its professional skills and wide connections, Ovit always uses the most suitable and up-to-date devices and equipment while performing its tasks of the national grid and undertakings. Moreover, the company always develops own technologies and devices.

The design engineers of the company created a new technology and structure, which make the continuous operation during any work on the power line possible. Reusable or emergency power line towers have been designed and manufactured by Ovit in 120, 220 and 400 kV versions. Structural characteristics of these towers were tested and were installed in numerous cases, and are employed for breakdowns and planned refits.

MVM Group has been operating as Recognised Corporate Group since 1 June 2007. Through the legal institution created under Act IV of 2006 on Business Associations, parent company MVM Zrt. now has a single set of effective management facilities to coordinate the business operations of the Group’s affiliates. Parallel to becoming a recognised group, the corporate image was also renewed: all the companies of the Group, amongst of them Ovit Zrt., were given a uniform image replacing their previous heterogeneous corporate images, and giving added emphasis the integrity of the Group and their common strategic goals.

The changing which had began in the previous years at Ovit arrived to another milestone on 1 January 2008. Besides our well-known three Divisions, a fourth Division has become operative – Maintenance Division –, as the organization responsible for the Company’s power station maintenance, project implementation and service activities. Its task is to become an outsourcee of maintenance and construction tasks and certain services of power plants, first of all for power plants of the MVM Group.

2009 was a year of jubilee: the National Power Line Company celebrated the 60th anniversary of its formation on 17 March 2009. One of the most important events of the jubilee celebrations was the dedication of the Dr. Csikós Béla Memorial in the central seat of the company in Budapest.

The above mentioned results, undertakings and improvements are only examples to demonstrate that the 60 year old Ovit, according to its corporate philosophy, as a contractor, wishes to remain a reliable, competitive and professional participant of the Hungarian power supply in the long run.