Elia starts dismantling of Mouscron-Zwevegem high-voltage line

High-voltage grid operator Elia has started dismantling the 70,000-volt line between Mouscron and Zwevegem. The line was built in 1936 and provided the region with electricity all this time, but it has become obsolete and is being dismantled. Due to the way the power grid was built, it does not need to be replaced. The works will start in Mouscron, proceed in phases through Kortrijk and Zwevegem, and will last one year.

The route of the 70,000-volt high-voltage line starts at the Mouscron high-voltage substation on Piro-Lannoystraat and runs for a distance of 9.5 kilometres through Rollegem (Kortrijk) and Bellegem (Kortrijk) towards Zwevegem.

The high-voltage line was built in 1936. 88 years later, the line is obsolete and is being dismantled, as are the 58 high-voltage pylons that support it. The dismantling of the line is part of a reorganisation of the power grid in the area, which is why the line is not being replaced. Due to the expansion of our grid and the so-called meshing, the electricity supply in the region will remain guaranteed at all times.

Working in phases

The works will be carried out in phases. Preparatory work will be done at the beginning of April. For example, road plates and access roads will be laid to give machines easy access to the high-voltage pylons. An Elia representative will visit local residents with a high-voltage pylon on their private property before the work starts in order to explain the works. In the meantime, the overhead line has already been de-energised. Afterwards, wooden frames will be installed at road level for safety. In the next phase, the electricity cables will be removed using a roller. The pylons will then be removed with a tall crane. Finally, Elia will remove the foundations and carry out restoration work. All the works combined will take less than a year.