Cooperation under high voltage

Elia is Belgium's largest grid operator. The company manages and maintains more than 8,000 kilometres of high-voltage lines and cables and transports electricity at up to 380,000 volts throughout Belgium and to neighbouring countries. Elia therefore plays a crucial role in the energy transition and energy supply in Belgium and Europe. When it comes to the quality and availability of the network, Elia leaves nothing to chance. For almost ten years, Mourik has been working closely and extensively with Elia in the fields of construction, the environment, industrial cleaning and asbestos removal. Together, we have one clear goal in mind: to ensure that the high-voltage infrastructure is safe, reliable and future-proof.

Integrated cooperation with environmental and civil engineering, asbestos and cleaning

We started out with a framework contract for environmental work, emergency clean-ups and accidental contamination. But today, we have a versatile, multi- ous partnership that spans multiple disciplines and dozens of locations throughout Belgium. We construct large buildings, foundations for transformers and other high-voltage equipment, infrastructure works and complete demolition of old installations, we clean oil collection installations and resolve environmental incidents. Mourik is present wherever Elia operates. Always ready in complex situations and in the event of emergencies.

Working at Elia means regularly operating under high voltage, both literally and figuratively. Take, for example, the fire at a huge phase-shifting transformer at Zandvliet. An acute situation (fire!) with all kinds of complications: thousands of litres of firefighting water to collect and dispose of, thorough decontamination necessary due to environmental pollution. Long working days, strict safety protocols. And constant, intensive coordination between our environmental and cleaning specialists and our contacts at Elia. But this example also clearly shows how well Mourik and Elia work together.

Complexity of working between high-voltage cables

Not all assignments are so urgent. But they are often complex. This also applies to our civil engineering and construction activities at Elia. These can be ad hoc interventions, but mainly planned large construction projects, such as transformer tanks, medium-voltage cabins, relay rooms, GIS buildings, plant extensions, renovations and new construction. This often involves environmental considerations, as the ground at high-voltage sites is often contaminated. The complexity also has to do with the (lack of) available space. We lay foundations and build structures in a working installation, just a few metres away from high-voltage installations. With extreme attention to safety, of course. And sometimes with something special. An excellent example of this is the completely new high-voltage substation we built in Aalst. It complies with all the usual technical and safety standards. But it also features unique green, architectural concrete walls that blend in beautifully with the adjacent city park.

Our partnership with Elia has grown over the years. We have found common ground in a shared way of working, based on 'working together' and mutual trust. This does not happen by itself, but is the result of consistent craftsmanship and a flexible attitude. Every year, we evaluate each other in terms of safety, quality and added value. This added value lies in our versatility and the synergy between our specialists in the environment, cleaning and construction. But it also lies in our knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations, how things work at Elia and what is important to them, for example in the area of sustainability. We also find common ground in the strategic role we both play in the energy transition and our ambition to make a social impact. Elia consciously chooses partners who think along with us, move with us and complement each other. And that is exactly what characterises this collaboration: trust in the power of togetherness.