Context and challenges

In recent years, the French national grid operator has been hit by a number of significant incidents on source substations, which deliver power to dense urban areas. These incidents have had a major impact on the quality of the supply along with significant media coverage, and resulted in equipment damage.
Faced with this problem, this customer decided to launch a national programme to increase the reliability and the safety of its structures, covering an area of 10,000 m²:

  • The programme to increase reliability covers construction work within the enclosures of the substations in dense urban areas, to prevent fires and limit their propagation.
  • The programme to increase energy security covers the reinforcement of HVA networks to ensure customer power supplies are quickly re-established in case of a major malfunction.

With these goals in mind, the company undertook studies to determine how to improve the reliability of one source substation. The project management consortium was made up of Assystem (Lead) and two other companies, one of which is a 3D scanning specialist.

Project scope

Project management for the required modifications (civil engineering, structure, high/low voltage, HVAC, road & utility networks, fire safety systems) to the existing building, which remained operational during all project phases:

  • Performance of diagnostic and feasibility phases with two scenarios and preliminary design work
  • Design work on structures, high/low voltage, HVAC, road & utility networks, fire safety systems
  • Management of digital model (BIM approach in REVIT)
  • Work budget estimate

The client also conducted its own design work concerning the high voltage process (HVA/HVB).

Client benefits

  • Safety and fire protection brought up to standards of compliance
  • Shared modes between North and South sections of building removed
  • Consolidation of electrical engineering equipment to facilitate work of technical teams
  • Elimination of risks of malfunction potentially causing the total loss of the source substation

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