KLINGER valves power La Défense

Idex La Défense, the operator of the district heating and cooling network for Europe’s largest business district, La Défense in Paris, has embarked on a major upgrade to improve its energy infrastructure. With the construction of Metro Line No. 15 for the Grand Paris Express, Idex needed to relocate and expand its pipe diameters to improve network performance and serve a growing customer base. Key to the project are valves supplied by KLINGER Fluid Control, which were meticulously tested at the company’s facility in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria, to ensure they met stringent specifications for safety, reliability, and durability specifications.

Upgrading for the future

As part of the construction of the Grand Paris Express, Idex La Défense is upgrading its heating and cooling networks by replacing pipes with larger diameters to enhance system efficiency and meet increased demand. For the hot water network, the pipes have been increased to DN400, while the cooling water pipes have grown to DN800. 

To meet these new requirements, KLINGER Fluid Control supplied several units of the KHSVI ball valves. Specifically, the hot water network now includes four DN400 and two DN300 valves, all capable of operating at 190°C and 25 bar pressure. The cooling water network, scheduled for installation in 2025, will include four DN800 valves, which are designed to operate in cold conditions of 4.5°C at 16 bar.

“These valves are essential for handling both cold and hot water coming from the Seine River, which contains particles and impurities that require exceptional quality and reliability.”

Bertrand Ory, Managing Director of KF Fluid, sales partner of KLINGER Fluid Control in France, knows best what valves are needed by customers in France

Safety first

“Testing is critical, especially for larger diameter valves. Each test is conducted based on customer requirements to ensure maximum reliability,” says Jose Guerrero, Area Sales Manager at KLINGER Fluid Control. The testing process includes external strength assessments and leakage verification, ensuring no air bubbles or leaks under severe conditions. The KHSVI VVS valves also feature a Double Block and Bleed (DBB) function, which provides an additional level of safety by ensuring complete isolation during maintenance procedures. This feature is essential for preventing any potential leakage and maintaining operational safety in such critical applications.

Challenging environments

Idex La Défense’ project managers, Isabelle Mosnier and Quentin Notarianni, emphasized the critical nature of the valves’ performance. “With the new KHSVI valves, we can sequence the network more efficiently, which helps reduce the number of customers affected during maintenance,” explains Isabelle. Quentin adds, “The biggest challenge is the installation, as these valves weigh up to 4.2 tons each and need to be installed 10 meters underground, beneath a heavily trafficked area. Also, the quality of these valves is critical to the long-term success of the project.”

The installation required careful planning, with heavy-duty cranes and specialized lifting equipment used to move the valves underground beneath a busy highway. This attention to detail is essential to the safe and reliable operation of the network for years to come, as “these valves are expected to remain in service for decades – potentially even as long as 50 years”, says Thomas Buccellato, Sales Manager for the Paris region at KF Fluid.

KLINGER Fluid Control’s commitment to quality, combined with meticulous testing, ensures that Idex La Défense received valves capable of meeting the challenging demands of Europe’s largest business district for years to come.