Elia restarts works on Noordschote high-voltage substation after floods
Elia will be restarting works on the Noordschote high-voltage substation in Lo-Reninge on Wednesday 7 February 2024. Works halted back at the beginning of November last year because of flooding in the Westhoek and also as a result of the high water levels in January this year. The station was also temporarily de-energised due to rising water levels.
The Westhoek was ravaged by incessant rain for several days in November, resulting in flooding. Even the high-voltage substation on Westpoeselstraat in Noordschote could not escape the water. That is why Elia decided to take some safety measures and partially de-energise the high-voltage substation.
"We continuously monitored the water level, but we soon saw that the situation was not under control. That is why we decided to put the high-voltage substation partially out of voltage to avoid the regional grid going down and leaving people without power in mid-November. During that period, the whole region was fed from the high-voltage substations of Koksijde, Beerst (Diksmuide) and Ypres, via the Fluvius grid in the region. As a result, there has never been a problem with the electricity supply," said Clement Desseyn, project manager at Elia.
The Noordschote high-voltage substation was out of service for a total of two weeks and was put back into service after the water level receded.
Modernisation of the high-voltage substation.
Works on the high-voltage substation were brought to a halt for two weeks too because of the slow rate at which the water level was receding. Elia was due to restart works at the beginning of January 2024. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so the restart date had to be delayed.
Elia has been working on the modernisation of the high-voltage substation since the summer of 2022. Noordschote is an important hub for the electricity supply in the Westhoek region, but due to energy transition and the expected increased demand for electricity, Elia wants to get the hub ready for the future.
"In the meantime, we have already commissioned a new transformer. A transformer is used to convert voltage from a higher to a lower level, and vice versa. This new transformer will allow Elia to convert more high-voltage electricity to medium-voltage, which is important for households and businesses in the region. In 2024, a second new transformer will also be installed. In the meantime, Elia also built a new control room, which has already been commissioned," Desseyn said.
All the works should be completed by 2025.
