According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Environment and Energy, it is a unique pilot project in Germany which combines drinking water protection, energy efficiency (of various media) and AI/state-of-the-art control technology: the so called “Eifel Pipeline“ between Trier and the Oleftalsperre in the North Rhine-Westphalian Eifel.

Existing elevated tanks and drinking water resources were linked to form a highly flexible network system with possible pipe reversal through an approximately 130 km long drinking water network. But that’s not all: Earth-based installation was used to simultaneously create up to 150 km of power and broadband lines as well as natural gas an biogas routes in order to store and transport heat and electricity.

A 100 million-project in which the igr GmbH has been in charge since 2015 for:

• Technical route planning including surveying
• Process management/control
• Environmental planning (including LBP, FFH, species protection, study area over 190 km2)
• Environmental construction support/ecological construction support
• Space management

The challenges were in the size and complexity of the project, the topography of the Eifel with, among other things, some technically very demanding flushing drilling/pressings (over 120 road and water crossings) as well as the very tight time and cost plan that was adhered to.

After 6 years of construction, the client KNE / Kommunale Netze Eifel (in collaboration with SWT / Stadtwerke Trier) will put the main line into operation in september 2024.

Daniel Heintz