Press visits site of dismantling work on Ciply-Pâturages line

On 23 October, Elia invited the local press to visit the site of dismantling work on the high-voltage overhead line linking the Ciply and Pâturages substations.

As you may recall, the line comprises 66 pylons and covers a distance of 8 km. In view of its age and to ensure public safety, Elia decided to dismantle the entire connection. The first phase of the work began in September 2017. The project team took down the first three-phase transmission line in order to reduce the weight on the pylons.

In October 2018, the technical teams embarked on the second phase of the project, which involves a number of stages:

Pulling the conductors: the cables are placed on pulleys around which the conductor is wound on a reel.
Taking down the pylons: using a telescopic crane. Depending on the size of the pylon, it will be taken down in one or more pieces.
Dismantling the foundations: using either a telescopic crane or a pneumatic drill, depending on how deep the foundation is.

The dismantling of the pylons, which started in October, is a spectacular sight. A crane holds the top of the pylon while a huge claw cuts it into pieces.