the prototype that turns our tracks into a source of energyA rail-based solar setup that turns our tracks into clean energy sourcesAt our Achères technical centre in Yvelines we’re testing a prototype based on reversible solar panels This brand-new system—called SOLVEIG—was developed by our multidisciplinary design agency AREP in collaboration with teams from our Technologies It’s part of a larger renewables initiative under SNCF Renouvelables aimed at expanding SNCF’s in-house production of green electricity For SNCF—France’s largest electricity consumer—that’s a major opportunity turning once-dormant routes into corridors of renewable energy affordable solar panels was developed by AREP The system is currently being tested at our Achères technical centre outside Paris Learn more SOLVEIG is designed to unlock the renewable energy potential of unused railway lines. The lightweight prototype features eight solar panels mounted on wheels, which can be quickly deployed directly on the rails, with no groundwork or permanent anchoring required since the track itself serves as the foundation. This ingenious temporary installation can generate significant amounts of solar power, helping to meet SNCF Group’s growing energy needs. Our long-term goal is to identify railway sites with high solar potential […] and convert unused tracks into renewable energy sources. It’s what we call ferrovoltaics, or solar tracks! SOLVEIG Project Manager, SNCF Development and Technological Performance Department (DTIPG) Once the current testing phase is complete, and if performance expectations are met, the SOLVEIG system could be rolled out more widely on unused railway lines across France. The idea is to provide localized, renewable power—for example, supplying energy to a nearby maintenance site or to support railway operations. SOLVEIG is a key part of SNCF Group’s broader solar energy strategy, which aims to install 1,000 MWp1 of solar panel capacity on our available land by 2030. That’s enough to cover 15 to 20% of our current electricity needs. To achieve this strategic objective, we launched SNCF Renouvelables in July 2023. This new subsidiary is currently mapping out all suitable land—including disused railway areas—for future solar and “ferrovoltaic” installations as we move toward energy independence. This site is in partial compliance 98,53% (with RGAA 4.1 standards) get ready to embark on a Polynesian journey at Parc Forestier Millet (near Le Petit Robinson restaurant) entertainment and a tropical atmosphere await you for this 12ᵉ edition achéroise there'll be a special treat for the taste buds enough to give the young and old a little boost before setting off in search of the hidden eggs With several hunt departures between 1.30pm and 4pm you'll need to aim just right to collect all the chocolate eggs and win gourmet prizes The most daring among you can take on the Mega Oeuf Surprise. A real challenge to win the coveted title of "Best Hunter". With family or friends, come to the Achères egg hunt on Sunday April 20 Refer your establishment, click here Promote your event, click here You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience a subsidiary of French railway operator SNCF has deployed a prototype of a mini-reversible solar power plant on non-running rails to test it for six months The solution is shipped in standardized ISO containers including inverters and storage batteries From pv magazine France SNCF offers significant land for ground-based PV in France with more than 113,800 hectares available for solar To harness the PV potential of non-operational railway lines has developed a container-based solar-plus-storage plant that can be placed on the rails and relocated as needed validated its proof of concept on January 17 by deploying eight solar panels at the Achères technical center where they will undergo six months of testing The system uses standardized ISO containers to transport the panels “We have developed a system for delivering PV panels using ISO containers and also a logistics method for installing them on railway tracks that facilitates the deployment of the panels as well as the reversibility of the installation,” AREP Director of Innovation Alistair Lenczner told pv magazine France AREP uses a telescopic arm to unload the panels which are then fixed to the rails to prevent wind exposure The temporary installation requires no foundations or construction work and the integrated solar and storage system is modular The next steps will focus on optimizing the system for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness though there is no timeline for the industrialization phase the solution serves intra-SNCF energy use and local consumption with studies for broader distribution set to align with market needs Lenczner said the solution has export potential across Europe and the rest of the world container-based design that adapts to logistical constraints More articles from Marie Beyer Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close created in the 1960s by the tourist office was set up mainly to compete with the municipality's Pentecost village festival and on Sunday for a full day ofentertainment for the whole family On the program? Produce stalls and food stalls (sausage and French fries, gourmet pastries and local specialties), dance demonstrations, and musical entertainment with two concerts, including one by l'Estival Don't miss the painting competition and the award ceremony for flowering balconies at 4 p.m. Families will be delighted to discover the bee stilt walkers And don't forget the living farm with the transhumance of geese and the "Meet and care for a pony" workshop with Epona Club Nature You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Driving an ambitious decarbonisation strategy Heidelberg Materials France plans a restructuring that would result in the closure of its sites in Beffes (Cher) and Villiers-au-Bouin (Indre-et-Loire) as of October 2025 This restructuring project follows a stronger alignment of the company’s cement portfolio towards low-carbon products which include reduced clinker content putting a strong focus on investments in the green transformation Heidelberg Materials France is faced with a significant decline in cement sales caused by weak construction demand due to the current market environment Socially acceptable solutions for all affected employees are being sought including redeployment offerings to other sites of the company in France Heidelberg Materials France is working closely with its social partners Heidelberg Materials introduced a substantial investment plan of more than €400 million in 2020 to reduce CO2 emissions with modernisation measures at the Airvault site in Deux-Sèvres the Bussac-Forêt site in Charente-Maritime The investment plan aims to improve energy efficiency replace fossil fuels with alternative fuels and further reduce the clinker content of cement in these sites CO2 emissions will be reduced by around a third The company is also making significant progress towards circularity in France Leading a large-scale closed-loop recycling project called CIRCO2BETON® Heidelberg Materials France is implementing an industrial-scale selective separation platform at its Achères quarry where demolished concrete will be crushed and separated into sand The high-quality recycled sand and aggregates will be used in new concrete while the RCP will be carbonated using CO2-containing exhaust gases from the kiln at the Ranville cement plant Driving CCUS projects on path to net zero Seeking viable solutions for unavoidable process CO2 emissions Heidelberg Materials France is working closely with project partners to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies the company announced its largest modernisation project in France at its Airvault site where it aims to complement conventional CO2 reduction measures with carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology enabling a capture capacity of approx Heidelberg Materials follows an ambitious global climate strategy having set targets to reduce specific net CO2 emissions per tonne of cementitious material by 47% by 2030 compared to 1990 The group aims to generate 50% of its revenue from sustainable products that are either low-carbon or circular by 2030 Heidelberg Materials plans to be carbon neutral across its entire product portfolio and achieve Net Zero emissions Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/05042024/heidelberg-materials-france-plans-closure-of-two-plants-and-accelerates-decarbonisation/ In the latest episode of the World Cement Podcast Senior Editor David Bizley is joined by Dr Andrew Minson of the GCCA to discuss the ins and outs of the recently launched Low Carbon Ratings (LCR) system Listen for free today » Backed by Clean Energy Ventures and Buzzi Unicem USA Queens Carbon will leverage funding to scale its energy-efficient cement production platform Embed article link: (copy the HTML code below): This article has been tagged under the following: Already a member? 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You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The African Student Union at UGA hosted its annual Africa Night in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday the play "Remember Me" told the story of Achere who leaves her family to work as a house help but is unaware that she is given to another family to be married against her will to Abel Achere is eventually reunited with her family when Magdaline Africa Night also featured dance performances and fashion shows in between scenes of the play The African Student Union will perform the show again on Saturday speaks during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Africa Night also featured dancing performances and fashion shows in between scenes of the play during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday A dancer performs at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Africa Night featured dance performances and fashion shows in between scenes of "Remember Me," the featured play of the show during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts building on Friday Africa Night featured dancing performances and fashion shows in between scenes of "Remember Me," the featured play of the show is escorted to a new family during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday about the rules of the house during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday A model yells during a fashion show at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Models pose during a fashion show at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday A model poses during a fashion show at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday sweeps the floor during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday speak to the police about their missing daughter Achere embrace after returing to her family during the performance of "Remember Me" at Africa Night 2019 in the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday The UGA African Student Union hosted Africa Night 2019 at the UGA Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Africa Night featured a performance of the play "Remember Me" and also included dancing performances and fashion shows in between scenes of the play The UGA African Student Union is an organization dedicated to diversifying and educating the… The Red & Black serves the Athens and University of Georgia communities with reliable while training the future of the free press Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Veolia celebrates late-June unveiling of submerged biofiltration Biostyr process at newest facility near Paris The presence of France’s second most important minister in the country’s new government at the June 29 official opening of the latest phase in the development of Paris’ Seine Aval wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) came as a surprise to most guests and caused a stir in French newspapers and on television Achères-based Seine Aval is important: it’s the biggest such plant in Europe taking 75% of Paris’ wastewater and servicing 6.5 million people Borloo’s interest and the media ballyhoo had more to do with the recent French elections France has a brand new president and government both elected on - by French standards - a right wing ticket and keen to reassure voters they’ll continue to support publicly-funded Surprising too is the fact the main contractor and project manager on the €392 million nitrification project (some 20 miles outside of Paris) is a subsidiary (OTV) of a company (Veolia) 30% owned by American interests serving over 108 million people with 70,000 employees and a turnover of €8.9 billion SIAAP - Syndicat Interdépartemental d’Assainissement de l’Agglom - Parisienne or the Greater Paris Wastewater Treatment Authority - is France’s public utility which owns and operates the Seine Aval plant and was keen to show off its new three-storey 300-meters-long and 170-meters-wide sleek building housing Europe’s biggest nitrification unit The plant building also contains associated sludge treatment Veolia (OTV) and their architects have a lot to be proud of: Following Mr Borloo and his swarming paparazzi and attendant local politicians guests were first struck by the building’s external appearance which looked more like a fancy airport terminal than a wastewater plant Grass along one side on the sloping roof above the sludge treatment tanks helped the building blend even more into its surroundings ceilings and walkways contrasted with exposed light brown of deep roof timber beams interspersed with views into discrete chambers containing brightly colored pumps and filters And only the faintest musty whiff of odor could be smelled even when standing immediately above the nitrification treatment cells - much less Gently angling down to the banks of the River Seine Veolia has created a 45-hectare landscaped public park which will connect with other public spaces to provide a total of 85 hectares of parkland beside the river enabling people to enjoy a stroll along the river bank Seine Aval was originally built in 1940 to meet the needs of the rapidly-expanding Paris area It and consisted of two units: one for wastewater treatment and one for the sludge produced by the treatment process The driver for Seine Aval’s subsequent and more recent development has been tough new European laws the EU Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment required “sensitive areas” to be identified where more thorough treatment had to be applied the European Commission set a target for a return to “good ecological status” of waterbodies by 2015 the SIAAP carried out a major study of the central part of the Ile-de-France region - where it’s responsible for wastewater collection and treatment - and formulated a development plan to 2015 A number of long-range objectives were laid out in the plan: improve wastewater treatment performance during dry weather; reduce quantities treated at Seine Aval by creating additional capacities at other SIAAP sites; store and treat stormwater during heavy rain; and develop the intercepting sewer system that conducts wastewater to the treatment plants One goal for 2015 was to achieve full nitrification and denitrification of all effluent from the Greater Paris area at all times was commissioned in 2004 at Seine Aval to treat excess stormwater in rainy weather and remove the majority of phosphorus during dry weather Benefits of this unit can already be seen in the Seine: 35 difference species of fish were recently identified quantities treated at Seine Aval were reduced by 400,000 to 1,700,000 cubic meters per day (m3/day) during dry weather This reduction in effluent capacity enabled a battery of combined tanks to be demolished freeing up ground space for further development at Seine Aval Nitrification-denitrification of ammoniacal nitrogen will be Seine Aval’s final stage in wastewater treatment: treating the nitrogen in dry weather and refining the treatment of excess water in wet weather the €392 million contract was awarded in September 2002 to Veolia Water’s subsidiary Commissioning of the new facilities started in November 2006 The project cost was split up as follows: civil engineering About 4.5 years will have elapsed from contract signature to end of the commissioning period and finishing with 10 months for commissioning The facility will be handed over in November 2007 the environmental impact was minimized by using high-performance so construction work took less time and was less noisy Pipes were installed to channel the site’s wastewater to the treatment plant Activity on the site was limited to working hours the natural 8m fall in ground level across the site will be exploited to install an energy recovery turbine which will produce up to 800 kW - enough to cover 10% of the new unit’s energy consumption Seine Aval’s nitrification plant uses Veolia’s submerged biofiltration Biostyr process used in about 100 plants around the world and will perform 100% transformation of ammoniacal nitrogen into nitrates and remove residual carbon and suspended solids Seine Aval doubles the total area serviced by Biostyr units in France The plant has 84 Biostyr cells with a total surface area of 14,532 square meters (m2) and volume of 50,862 m3 The unit has been sized to deal with a flow of 24 cubic meters/second (m3/sec) in dry weather; 45 m3/sec in wet weather; and 52 m3/sec during exceptional peak periods The process automatically varies in line with weather changes Biostyr is a process that generates very little odor only treated water is exposed to the atmosphere Seine Aval’s nitrification tanks are covered by canvas tents that facilitate natural ventilation sludge treatment and denitrification units are ventilated and deodorized The effluent leaving Seine Aval will be partially denitrified to 30-100% by 2015 - and the residual sludge treated by flotation to achieve 4% dryness Subsequent centrifuging will increase dryness to the required 6% level guaranteed treated water quality will be: 92% of TSS; 92% of DBO5; 80% of ammoniac nitrogen; 30% of total nitrogen and 80% of phosphorus The public utility claims the improved water quality will halt the eutrophication phenomenon occurring in the Seine right up to the North Sea Seine Aval is an impressive achievement and appears to be on course to achieve its 2015 targets “Seine Aval will achieve its targets and will also be a net contributor of power to the national grid while producing biopolymers as a byproduct.” Jonathan Rush is a freelance writer and editor for online magazine Contingency Today dedicated to the challenges and opportunities of critical national infrastructure protection and based in Cambridge Artlyst Gwyn Hanssen Pigott Artist Potter Dies In London Aged 77 the Australian born artist/potter has died in London age 77 Victoria in 1935 and studied Fine Arts at Melbourne University She trained with Ivan McMeekin in New South Wales and worked with Ray Finch Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew in Britain She set up studio in London’s Portobello Road in 1960 and later in Acheres quickly establishing herself as an internationally known figure Pigott returned to Australia in 1975 and lived and worked there visiting London on occasion Her work was very much like a Morandi painting brought to life The work of Edmund de Waal owes much to her widespread influence Gwyn Hanssen Pigott exhibited extensively in Australia Europe and Asia and is the recipient of many awards Her work is in numerous private and public collections worldwide In 2002 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the arts as a ceramic artist and teacher Helen Stephens writes of Hanssen Pigott: “She says in making her forms she dared herself to go to the edge of formlessness and she wrote: “To my delight the pared down forms remained pots; glazed was accepted.” She says she is wary of design: “Skill is one thing but a pot has to breathe.” These groups have a meditative value—we take time out to consider them in the rush of life People who purchase these groups of pots set aside alcoves specially designed locations for these object groupings Their strength and individuality; their cool composure; their certainty; their lightness and depth have the power to move and reassure “for a moment pulled on our attention and beauty and possibility of transformation and repose” The range of colours also have a powerful effect—from pure white groupings to rich and intense browns that seem to glisten out of the darkness.” Streets closed to traffic and no parking from Thursday July 13 3amTo ensure the smooth running of the Bastille Day celebrations on July 14 the lower part of the Grande-Rue (between the junction of Rue Madame Rue Bontemps and Avenue des Combattants) and Rue Pasteur will be closed to traffic from Thursday July 13 it's an opportunity to find great deals close to home; for others it's a chance to enjoy the festivities while discovering the treasures of the Paris region Why not celebrate the Fête Nationale in Saint-Germain-en-Laye? This town in the Yvelines region of France boasts a rich heritage, from its château, home to the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale It's the perfect place to take a stroll before the festivities kick off 2024 at the Domaine national de Saint-Germain-en-Laye Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health Easter' s just around the corner why not sign up with your family (or friends for that matter) to take part in one of the egg hunts on offer in the département this April 2025 little chocolate eggs just don't taste the same (we assure you) unless you've spent an hour wandering through fields and gardens to find them but it's out of the question to cross the whole Île-de-France region and leave the département to get there or if your favorite egg hunt of all time takes place there here's a great selection to help you find the one that's sure to delight young and old alike From nature-painting egg hunts on farms or in open spaces to prince and princess egg hunts in the department's châteaux Easter 2025: egg hunt and game at Villa Savoye (78)On Sunday, April 20, 2025, the Villa Savoye is organizing an Easter event, complete with egg hunt and game. [Read more] Easter 2025: egg hunt at Maisons-Laffitte Tourist Office (78)From April 9 to 16, 2025, the Maisons-Laffitte Tourist Office is organizing an egg hunt for children: the good news is that it's free! [Read more] Easter egg hunt 2025, at the Fournaise museum in Chatou (78)From April 19 to 21, 2025, the Musée Fournaise is organizing a big Easter egg hunt for children. We're off! [Read more] Easter egg hunt 2025 on a pony, at the Rambouillet equestrian center (78)On Sunday, April 20, 2025, join us at the Centre Equestre de Rambouillet for a very special egg hunt! [Read more] Easter 2025: egg hunt at Maison Léon Blum, Jouy-en-Josas (78)On Saturday, April 19, 2025, join us at Maison Blum, near Jouy-en-Josas, for a special Easter egg hunt. [Read more] Easter Egg Hunt 2025, among the monuments of France Miniature (78)Looking for a good egg hunt in the Yvelines? Head for France Miniature, the theme park with its many treasures, which is unveiling a special Easter trail from April 19 to 21, 2025 . [Read more] Easter 2025: an egg hunt in the heart of nature at Espace Rambouillet (78)During Easter weekend, from April 18 to 21, 2025, Espace Rambouillet is organizing a big egg hunt for children. [Read more] Easter Egg Hunt 2025 at Thoiry ZooSafari (78)The Thoiry Estate Easter Egg Hunt returns this year on Sunday April 20 and Monday April 21, 2025, to the delight of young and old alike. An original egg hunt combining chocolate and animal discovery! [Read more] Easter 2025: egg hunt and children's entertainment in Houilles (78)To celebrate Easter 2025, the town of Houilles in the Yvelines department is organizing a large-scale egg hunt and a host of activities for children. [Read more] This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Frenchman Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the world land speed record at a track at Achères in France. His electric car, made by stagecoach-maker Jeantaud, completes a 1km circuit of the track in 57 seconds. After three laps and the end of the car's battery, the Frenchman's average speed is announced: the fastest man in the world had reached a heady 40mph. Things get technical in the 1920s when Sir Malcolm Campbell teams up with jet engine manufacturers Napier to build a special car for his attempt at breaking the record. The Napier-Campbell Blue Bird car uses a 500bhp Lion aero engine and smashes the previous record, reaching a speed of 195mph at Pendine Sands in Wales. Campbell immediately professes his disappointment at not having reached 200mph but gets there a year later in the USA. Aeronautical technology finds its way into racing cars. Driving his jet-propelled Railton Mobil Special, Englishman John R Cobb reaches just under 400mph at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Cobb attempted the same feat on water, but lost his life when his Crusader boat flipped after hitting choppy waters on Loch Ness. The title of "Fastest Man on Earth" goes back and forth between two men. Art Arfons and Craig Breedlove battle it out to be the king of speed in a series of runs on the Utah Salt Flats. A good-natured rivalry builds and the record is pushed from just over 400mph to 526mph, which Arfons attains in his Green Monster car. Although supersonic aircraft had been around since the early 1950s, it took a further 40 years for a car to break the sound barrier. In the summer of 1997, former RAF pilot Andy Green drove his Thrust SSC right through the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.02 (763mph). Green was garlanded with the highest honours in the racing world, including the Segrave Automobile Club Trophy and Cobb Cup from British Racing Drivers' Club. His record still stands. The Bloodhound SSC car goes into production in the US. The car, from the same team behind Thrust, is designed to be the most aerodynamic land vehicle ever built, with jet engines capable of reaching up to 1,000 miles per hour. It's hoped to be ready for testing by 2012. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies New tourism links and a mutual love of French wine were all on the agenda as an “Auld Alliance” was officially sealed at iconic Mearns tourist attraction Stonehaven welcomed a contingent from twinned-town Achères at the weekend along with the French consul general for Scotland to formally seal the first twinning agreement for the town Addressing the assembly during a reception at Dunnottar Castle Aberdeenshire’s Provost Bill Howatson said he hoped the new friendships being formed would be “long and successful” He said: “This raises memories of the long and famous connection between our two countries agreed in 1295 – an established friendship founded on the Scots love of French wine.” the twinning came about when the deputy mayoress of Acheres visited the north east town with her husband while on holiday – a trip which sparked the idea of the new connection Last night the mayor Marc Honore said he thought it was now “even more important” to create new links within Europe He said: “This is the third twinning for Acheres It’s good to reinforce European links and to keep diversifying with each other.” The visitors were treated to entertainment from local Scottish country dancers and musical talent and also some Scottish traditional food said he hoped the new ties would offer “friendly entry” to his country He added: “I’m very happy to welcome Stonehaven as one of the latest twinned towns with France The twinning scene has been very lively – especially in the last ten years “But it’s not just about the signpost at the town entrances This twinning reminds us of the diversities and variety of our relationships It’s about us all having the same attitudes and it’s great to see that at a local level.” was “hugely grateful” to everyone who brought about the twinning but felt strongly that “atrophy should not set in” He added: “The future for Stonehaven lies in the growth from tourism and tourists making Stonehaven a destination the Twinning Concordat and the Twinning Group rationale is not just about money but also the rich interchange and understanding gained from culture sporting and education links that it brings.”