A demonstrator to test a variety of snow removal solutions

The first demonstrator, which was set up in 2013 under the car park by Vermot TP (a VINCI Construction subsidiary), showed that the system clears snow from roads efficiently and effectively.

Power Road® was then developed and optimised by VINCI Construction’s research centre specialised in road-related applications, to be used to heat and cool buildings.

A few key figures

Installation:

  • Power Road® area: 40 sq. metres
  • Inter-season storage: 2 geothermal loops, 86 metres deep
  • Heat pump: 9 kW

 

Snow removal:

  • 5 MWh a year
  • Operates 550 hours a year

Praise for Power Road®

Once the prototype was up and running, it entered the Ademe (French Agency for Ecological Transition) call for projects relating to the roads of the future, under the French forward-looking investments programme, and won.

The Ademe’s support enabled it to start a new series of experiments, including a demonstrator at Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines, near Paris.