Ferrovial to power TBM renewably, Webuild wins £1.2bn contract
Rob Hakimian
The Grand Paris Express project, being delivered for project promoter Société du Grand Paris, commenced in 2018. It will see 68 new stations added across
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New Civil Engineer
Paris’ mammoth project to create 200km of new Metro lines has seen Ferrovial Spie Batignolles JV commit to using renewable electricity for a 6.7km tunnel while Webuild NGE JV has been awarded a €1.38bn (£1.17bn) lot.

The Grand Paris Express project, being delivered for project promoter Société du Grand Paris, commenced in 2018. It will see 68 new stations added across the 200km of new line through the Paris suburbs. The first section - northern and southern extension to Line 14 - is expected to open this year in time for the Olympic Games, while the rest of the project – featuring extensions to Line 11 and brand new Lines 15, 16, 17 and 18 - will be opening in phases between 2025 and 2030.

Ferrovial goes renewable on Line 18

Ferrovial Spie Batignolles JV has reached an agreement with EDF to ensure that the electricity supply required during the construction of a section of Grand Paris Express’ Line 18 will come exclusively from renewable sources.

Line 18 will be 35km long and connect Orly airport in the south of the city to Versailles Chantiers in the south west suburbs.

The Ferrovial JV’s €428M (now £364M) contract includes the construction of a 6.7km tunnel and three new stations.

The value of renewable energy to be used on this section of the line is expected to reach approximately €4M (£3.4M).

The agreement will provide a supply of 25GWh, with 13.5GWh used to drive the tunnel boring machine (TBM) and the rest used to operate the ancillary equipment.

It is believed that this will prevent 7,396t of carbon dioxide emissions.

The consortium is also reducing its carbon footprint and costs by re-using a variable density TBM that is already in place having dug the previous section of the line.

Ferrovial Construction CEO Ignacio Gastón said: “Ferrovial’s Construction division has made a firm commitment that, by 2025, all projects where we have decision-making capacity will use 100% renewable energy. We are also working to replicate this commitment to sustainability in projects with partners, in order to involve the entire value chain.”

Webuild JV wins lot 2 of Line 15

Webuild has won its third contract on the Grand Paris Express contract. In a joint venture with French construction company NGE, it will construct Lot 2 on the south western section of Line 15 in a contract worth €1.38bn (£1.17bn).

At 75km, Line 15 will be the longest metro line in France. It will circle Paris, running through the suburbs, crossing 45 municipalities with 36 stations along the route.

The two firms have an ongoing working relationship as they are also delivering lot 2 of Line 16 for the project and in Canada they are working together on a project for the Ontario Line, Toronto’s new subway.

The new Grand Paris Express contract will see the JV designing and building four underground stations, 7km of TBM excavated tunnels and six functional structures between the Pont de Sèvres and Saint-Denis Pleyel stations.

The contractor says the project will be led by “eco-design principles” to reduce environmental impact during the construction phase. This will include use of low-carbon concrete and other bio-based materials. Energy consumption will be limited and vegetation will play a “significant role” in the stations, guaranteeing biodiversity net gain.

The four new stations to be delivered by the Webuild NGE JV are Bécon-les-Bruyères, Bois Colombes, Les Agnettes and Les Grésillons in the north west of the city.

An estimate 1,200 new jobs will be created for the project, both directly and for third parties.