IFA 2: a super grid project between France & Great Britain
Since 2018, Omexom teams have been carrying out, for ABB, the turnkey works of the transformer station located in Calvados, within the framework of the realization of the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine line between France and England.
IFA 2 is a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine line project that provides the link between France and Great Britain.
This submarine power line was created between the two countries in 2016, in a context where renewable energies occupy a growing share in the energy mix of each country. This project is an initiative of the French Transmission System operator (RTE) and its British counterpart National Grid.
It was initiated in order to respond to the increase in electricity exchanges between France and England, but also to improve the overall stability of the electricity networks and create new energy exchange capacities.
Omexom teams took charge of the electrotechnical part of the project and therefore carried out the turnkey work for the transformer station located in Calvados. As for the civil engineering works, they were carried out by VINCI Construction teams. In addition to the design and construction of the building, VINCI was also responsible for the complete assembly of the conversion process on behalf of ABB.
Started in 2018, the worksite mobilises around 100 employees within the VINCI Group.
The Building Information Management (BIM) solution was used to make this major project more efficient and agile.
This submarine line will operate at ± 320 kV DC and will be able to transfer nearly one gigawatt of power between the two countries, equivalent to 500,000 permanently powered homes.
In the unprecedented context of the Covid-19 pandemic, all necessary measures have been implemented to guarantee the health of Omexom teams and ensure the continuity of work in complete safety on the site.