Surface water bypass during construction of an energy-efficient tunnel on the A16 motorway

Rijkswaterstaat has commissioned a construction project for the tunnel that connects the A16 with the A13. This is not just any tunnel; it is the first energy-neutral tunnel in the world. The energy required to maintain the road and the tunnel is generated by the road itself, via solar panels.

Submersible pumps keep the surface water flowing

The tunnel will be built in phases and runs through several wetlands. In each phase, the surface water needs to be pumped away to a different area. So Eekels Pompen supplied a tijdelijke pompinstallatie consisting of two Hidrostal F10K submersible pumps. The pumps are powered by a 150 kVA generator. Sensors measure the surface water level and those signals control the pumps, indicating when more or less water needs to be pumped. This keeps the water level at the right height at all times.

The temporary pump system will move from location to location in line with the construction phases

The project is scheduled to last one and a half years. Our skilled fitters move the pump system to a new location as the construction work progresses. This ensures a continued flow of surface water during the entire project.

The temporary pump system comprises:

• 2 Hidrostal F10K submersible pumps
• A 150 kVA generator
• Piping
• A hydrostatic pressure sensor