The electrical plant and network of the société électrique de la sidérurgie lorraine

The history and development to 1929 of the pooling arrangement by which some 60 per cent of all the electric generating plant in the Lorraine steelworks is regulated and the electricity sold is generally described. Of the 3 600 000 cubic metres of blast-furnace gas available, half is used for processes in the various works and the other half for generating electricity. Most of this electricity is used in the works. Nominally some 100 000 kW are available for export sale. An overhead network interconnects, through substations, 10 power stations with an output of 125 000 kW, all working in parallel. Some 65 per cent of the power is developed by gas engines whose want of overload capacity throws too much of the inevitable load fluctuation on the gas-fired steam-turbine sets. These latter are being increased to a capacity of 74 000 kW distributed in 7 works, and some of the boilers are not being fired only with blast-furnace gas but, if desired, also with pulverized fuel. The whole working is controlled by telephone by a load dispatcher.