First plant components now in place
25 May 2015
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R.A.
A powerful crane and worker dexterity - that's what is needed to precisely position the 87-ton component onto the supports that span the gravel-covered pit.
The four US-procured transformers that will be needed to distribute power to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ installation have all reached the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site. The first one had been the first Highly Exceptional Load to travel along the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Itinerary in January; three more were delivered on 21 May in a single transport operation.
A mere two hours after arrival, one of the four transformers was readied for installation on the platform in the vicinity of the the 400 kV switchyard. A powerful crane was used to position the 87-ton component on its dedicated pad; the same operation was duplicated the following day. Two transformers are now place—the first installed components of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ plant.
The pad onto which each transformer is solidly anchored covers a 1.5-metre-deep, gravel-covered pit that has been dimensioned to receive the 44 cubic metres of oil the component contains (oil is used as an insulator) in case of a leak. Eight-metre walls stand between the pads to prevent a possible fire in one transformer from spreading to the others.
The four transformers will bring down the voltage from 400 kV to the standard 20 kV of industrial installations. "°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ could operate with only three transformers but for reasons of flexibility and redundancy, we have opted for four," explains °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Electrical Power Distribution section leader Joël Hourtoule.
The second pair of transformers will be installed in the coming weeks.
View a slide show of the convoy and transformer installation below.
2015-05-22 - Departing from Berre on 20 May 2015. The inland sea Étang de Berre had been crossed the day before. (Photo Joël Hourtoule)
2011-05-16 - On utilise un béton architectonique pour conférer une résistance structurale au bâtiment de contrôle d'accès au site. Les ouvertures géométriques créent une impression de légèreté. Photo : AIF
2011-05-12 - Le chantier du siège d'°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ au mois de mai 2011. Pour les structures les plus fines, un béton fibré ultra performant (BFUP) a été utilisé. Ce béton contient fibres métalliques et offre une durabilité et une résistance à la compression exceptionnelles : entre 130 et 250 MPa (Mega Pascal) dans des conditions normales. Cette haute résistance est associée à une très grande densité et à une quasi-imperméabilité. Photo : AIF
2011-05-11 - Deux grues de 60 et 42 mètres de haut respectivement sont à l'Å“uvre sur les murs du futur siège d'°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ au mois de mai 2011. Photo : AIF