Dewatering Pumps for Grand Paris Express Project
Half-time at the Metro Grand Paris project. The manufacturer Tsurumi has been supplying dewatering pumps right from the start. Now heavy-duty KTZ pumps are being added.
Grand Paris Express is a project of superlatives that sets standards even in France. Nothing works without proper dewatering
Credit/Quelle: Tsurumi
The ambitious infrastructure project in the French capital will connect the suburbs with a partially driverless metro network to improve local transport. Four new lines are being built, two will be extended and existing ones modernised. With 227 km and 308 stations, the network is already the fourth largest in Europe. By the end of the project in 2030, another 200 km and 68 stations will be added.
KTZ 415 Submersible Pump
In some places, the actual construction site is located at a depth of 30 m. Keeping the groundwater away is a tech challenge
Credit/Quelle: Société du Grand Paris/Gérard Rollando
Dry shaft: the head of a tunnelling machine protrudes through the wall opening at the bottom
Credit/Quelle: Société du Grand Paris/Sébastien d'Halloy
Tsurumi has been involved since the project was launched in 2016. The Japanese company with its EU headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, has equipped several construction sections with dozens of submersible pumps. At the end of 2023, the project managers placed another order based on their positive experience. The new order includes a series of pumps especially from the KTZ model range. This pump was developed for use in tunnelling and mining. There are 17 types of this versatile submersible pump providing flow rates of up to 3960 l/min and a delivery head of 71 m.
This includes the KTZ 415, which reaches 2000 l/min and 55 m. Its motor output of 15 kW is impressive. However, the 146 kg dry weight is a result of the robust design, which relies on resistant materials including chrome cast iron and silicon carbide with diamond-like hardness.
Tunnels at a Depth of up to 30 Metres
The units keep the grounds dry and thus help to time the schedules. Three of the four new lines run in tunnels. Each tunnel with a diameter of 10 m will contain two tracks. The tunnels are running at an average depth of 30 m and thus in the aquifer. Drainage is crucial for success: work can only continue when it is dry.
Tsurumi is one of the preferred partners for the project management because this supplier delivers from stock rather than on order: Almost all of the 500 pump models offered in the EU, with delivery capacities of up to 30 m3/min or 216 m head height, can be delivered within 24 hours, according to Tsurumi.
