Endesa hooks up new high-voltage power lines at the Cádiz bay towers

From left to right: Juan Damas, head of High Voltage lines in Western Andalusia; José Manuel Revuelta, general manager of Endesa Networks; Emilio Jímenez, Director of Networks for Endesa in Andalusia and Extremadura.
  • The work was completed ahead of schedule and involved some thirty technicians specialised in working at heights and in the use of specialised machinery.
  • Now in service, the new cable was specially manufactured for these towers and is made of an alloy that is resistant to the stresses exerted by the distance between the two towers and the inclement weather in the area.
  • A total of 14,928 metres of cabling were replaced with a total investment of €700,000.

Earlier today, Endesa completed the electrical connection of the new cabling for the Cadiz Bay towers after replacing 14,928 metres of old cabling that had been in service for 40 years but is now reaching the end of its useful life.

Now in service, the new cable was specially manufactured for these two unique towers in the industrial engineering panorama and is made of a special alloy created by the company Trefinasa from Navarre. The steel-core alloy was designed to withstand the strain of the 1.6 kilometre distance between the two towers at a height of 150 metres. These parameters combined with the local climate mean that they have a useful life of 40 years, which makes their replacement a real challenge.

Part of the old wiring is already being analysed by a team of experts, as the information extracted from it will not only be of use to Endesa in another 40 years' time when the conductors have to be replaced, but will also serve as a study in engineering universities where these towers, their construction and their operation are still an example.

“Fresh energy now runs through the Cadiz Bay towers via these new cables, constituting a record replacement time by a 30-person team that included Endesa workers and engineers, together with AMETEL, a company with international experience that assisted in executing the work”, explained Jose Manuel Revuelta, managing director of Redes de Endesa, which delivered a presentation on the completion of the works today, He concluded by saying that “this project is an example of the application of the latest technology and innovation in the distribution network that we are implementing throughout our electricity infrastructure to provide a more resilient network adapted to today's needs”.

 

Executed work

The Cadiz Bay towers are linked by two 132 kV circuits, each comprising three cables spanning 2,488 metres, which is why the work was divided into two phases: one for each circuit, so that while the three cables on one circuit were being replaced, the other continued operating, thus guaranteeing the Cadiz electricity supply.

Specialised machinery was used to undertake this work, which began on 2 November, and placed on the gantries of each tower, a concrete structure that not only maintains the tension of the cables, but also connects them to the substation from which they are supplied with energy.

The heavy machinery used was a brake or braking machine and the coils of the new cables that were placed in the Cadiz Free Trade Zone, where the Pórtico San José gantry is located. The pulling motor or winch was installed on the opposite side at the Pórtico Cabezuela gantry in Puerto Real to collect the old cable. The two machines located on either side of the bay were secured by 8.5 tonne anchors capable of withstanding the tension exerted by the cables.

At a height of 150 metres, the technicians removed the insulator chains to place the pulleys through which first the guide cable and then the new cable passed. This was precisely the moment of greatest tension as it was designed to the millimetre and executed at a height of 150 metres. During this phase, maritime traffic was suspended for safety reasons.

Once the new cable was laid, the insulators and dampers were reinstalled to overcome the vibrations caused by the intense winds in the area. These elements were also manufactured in Spain. The glass insulators are manufactured by the Segovian company Saint Gobain La Granja, while the dampers come from the Navarrese company Saprem.

Information dossier with more details at this link

From left to right: Juan Damas, head of Endesa's High Voltage lines in Western Andalusia; Emilio Jímenez, Director of Networks for Endesa in Andalusia and Extremadura; José Manuel Revuelta, general manager of Endesa Networks; Javier Sánchez, general director of Ametel; José María Díaz Mancha, head of Endesa's High Voltage lines in Andalusia and Extremadura.
 

About Endesa

Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy use in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. In addition, it has created a new line of business. Endesa X Way is fully dedicated to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR-related matters. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.

advise icon go to the advise Facebook icon go to Facebook Twitter icon go to Twitter Youtube icon go to Youtube Messenger icon go to Messenger Linkedin icon go to Linkedin Instagram icon go to Instagram Shared Link icon Go to the shared link Checkmark Success icon Checkmark Success down arrow icon down arrow Previous Go to previous Next Go to the next close icon close add icon add up arrow icon up arrow oblique arrow icon look obliquely Arrow down icon Arrow down search engine icon search search engine icon search share icon share filter icon filter email icon send mail email icon email phone icon phone fax icon fac print icon print play icon play user icon go to the user section error icon an error has occurred info icon information thumb up icon like thumb up icon like thumb down icon don't like thumb down icon don't like clock icon Clock Lamp icon Lamp List icon List Map icon Go to the map Phone icon Phone Emergency icon Emergency Pause icon Pause Play icon Play Logout icon Sign off Phone icon Phone Download icon An icon representing a download Chat icon An icon representing a chat
go back icon go back in navigation number 50 icon go to product Tempo Happy 50 Horas calendar icon go to product Tempo Happy Día companies icon go to the business segment gas icon go to gas product catalog rising sun icon go to Tempo Verde-Renewable Energy product home icon go to the household segment 24 hours icon go to One Luz product electricity icon go to Luz's product catalog electricity and gas icon go to the Luz + Gas product catalog moon icon go to product One night light monkey wrench icon go to breakdowns and repairs sun icon go to Tempo Solar product clock icon go to Tempo Happy products 2 hour clock icon go to Tempo Happy 2 Hours product 24 hours icon go to product One Luz number 50 icon go to product Tempo Happy 50 Hours Medium Voltage power line See product catalog with electricity consumption from € 36,000 to € 360,000 / year High Voltage power line See catalog of products with electricity consumption more than € 360,000 / year company icon go to the business segment calendar icon go to product Tempo Happy Day Property management firms icon go to the Property management firms DarkSite icon DarkSite icon light bulb icon See product catalog with electricity consumption less than € 6,000 / year electricity and gas icon go to the Electricity+ Gas Products catalog electricity icon go to the electrical products catalog email icon email contact fax icon fax contact Low Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption of less than € 6,000 / year High Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption from € 6,000 to € 240,000 / year Medium Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption of more than € 240,000 / year gas icon go to gas product catalog Enel icon go to the enel website heater icon heater maintenance service heater maintenance icon go to maintenance service OKGas Heater home icon go to the household segment pressure cooker icon pressure cooker monkey wrench icon go to breakdowns and repairs Medium Voltage power line icon see catalog of electricity products with consumption from € 6,000 to € 36,000 / year moon icon go to product One Night Light sphere icon go to personal website phone icon telephone contact rising sun icon go to Tempo Verde-Renewable Energy product solar panel icon go to photovoltaic solar energy clock icon go to Tempo Happy products black handyman icon with thumb down selected the reaction "I don't like it" little hand icon with thumb down select the reaction "I don't like it" black hand icon with thumb up selected the "like" reaction little hand icon with thumb up select the "like" reaction
Añadir otro equipo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Eliminar equipo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Aspiradora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Horno Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Lavadora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Lavavajillas Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Microondas Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Plancha Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Punto de recarga vehículo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Radiador eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Secadora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Split Aire Acondicionado Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Termo Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Tostador Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Vitrocerámica Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Power edit Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Map marker Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit.