13 kilometres of tunnel, 6 Shafts, 200km of power cabling, 52 overhead pylons, 80km of overhead line conductor, 3 new 132kV substations, a great team effort.

DCL Power provided most of the staff for our client EDF Energy on this prestigious project

The significance of the PLUG project on the wider Olympic Park cannot be underestimated. This tunneling, cabling, electrical infrastructure, major civil construction and overhead line (OHL) pylon removal project was the key to unlocking the Olympic Park landscape for long-term regeneration, allowing the skyline of East London to be permanently transformed.

This was one of the most complex multidisciplinary planning, engineering and tunnelling projects in Europe, being delivered against a challenging deadline, in unique environs, with a series of obstacles and risks encountered along the way. To deliver this project in half the time of the industry norm, on budget and with an impressive health and safety record is a considerable achievement. The careful planning, collaborative working and innovation used by the project team are an example of world-class delivery, not only for the wider Olympic Park construction projects, but for the whole industry. The project is considered to be groundbreaking and was the first Olympic Park preparation project for the London 2012 Games.

"PLUG is probably the highest risk and toughest project we'll do on the Olympics and sets a fantastic benchmark to every other project that follows. A great start."
David Higgins, Chief Executive, Olympic Delivery Authority

"The completion - on time and on budget - of the work on the powerlines tunnelling is a tremendous achievement. It is important not just for the creation of the Olympic Park, but also as a crucial part of our ambitious regeneration plans. It demonstrates clearly the excellent progress being made to deliver a fantastic Olympics.
Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister

PLUG Facts:

• Project cost: £250 million

• All milestones achieved

• More than 1.5 million man hours on the tunnelling alone

• 420 workers on site (2 main sites and 6 satellite sites)

• PLUG tunnelling accounted for 85% of the UK's tunnelling in 2007

• Tunnelling completed in 424 days

• 4 x 40 tonne tunnel boring machines (TBMs) working simultaneously

• 13km of tunnels

• 175,000m3 of spoil produced - enough to fill Wembley Stadium - 90% of which has been re-used in the earthworks for the Olympic Park

• Tunnels lined with 11,000 concrete rings

• Construction (and modifications) of four large electricity substations

• 200km of power cables - enough to stretch from London to Nottingham

• 52 electricity transmission pylons removed - all recycled

• 80km of conductors removed - all recycled

• 8 tonnes of porcelain insulators removed - all recycled

• Early upfront fast track international procurement of plant and materials