for the city of Nantes, which is burying its high-voltage lines as part of commercial venture.
MESIL (which stands for ‘mise en souterrain par initiative locale’ – placing networks underground at the initiative of local authorities) is the name given by RTE (the Electricity Transmission Network) to projects undertaken at the request of local communities.
In the Beaujoire neighbourhood, at the request of the city of Nantes, SADERTELEC is undertaking two MESIL projects for RTE to bury overhead lines in this area to allow for the expansion of a shopping centre.
MESIL 1 – a tricky business…
RTE commissioned SADERTELEC to lay 1.3 km of high-voltage lines:
- 3 225,000 V cables,
- 3 63,000 V cables.
Unwinding the cables is a highly sensitive operation, as the sheaths must not be damaged in any way. The slightest cut to a sheath requires the whole cable to be replaced. RTE is keeping a close eye to ensure the laying of the cables goes smoothly and the cable manufacturer (Prysmian Group) is also on hand during this crucial phase.
SADERTELEC is following precise phasing, laying the 6 cables in one week, which will then be set in concrete slabs, guaranteeing a perfect seal for civil engineering.
The two projects in numbers
MESIL Nantes 1
Distance: 2,100 m
Volume of concrete: 1,300 m³
Number of transmission lines: 2 + 1 more to come
On-site personnel: 3 SADERTELEC teams
The civil engineering was completed in summer 2020 and the project will finish three weeks from now.
MESIL Nantes 2
Distance: 4,000 m
Volume of concrete: 1,800 m³
Number of transmission lines: 2
Number of teams on site: 2 workshops (1 SADERTELEC team + 1 SADE team)
The teams are currently undertaking the civil engineering. The laying will happen in 2022.
