THE WORLD'S LONGEST ENERGY CHAIN

IGUS' PLASTIC ENERGY CHAIN AT A LIGNITE-FIRED POWER STATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC IS READY TO STAND UP AGAINST EXTREME CONDITIONS.

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Measuring in at a world-record 615m travel, igus' plastic energy chain at the lignite-fired power station in Tušimice, Czech Republic, is the longest in the world.

And regardless of it running 24 hours a day or standing idle for a month, the roller energy chain system has been going strong for a decade without missing a beat.

In normal operation, lignite (brown coal) is extracted from the opencast mine and conveyed directly into the lignite-fired power station. If production is interrupted, it is vital supplies continue to go on generating energy.

The operators of the power station, ČEZ Group, achieve this goal by stockpiling large quantities of coal nearby.

The coal at Tušimice is stored in a long heap on the periphery of the power plant site. A stacker is used to pile the coal automatically on the heap. To supply the stacker with energy, data and media, ČEZ Group opted for an energy chain system from igus.

This led to an energy chain boasting a record-breaking 615m travel, with 10 years of reliable operation in an award-winning application.

The application in Tušimice was awarded the 2010 Golden Vector Award, which igus initiates every two years to select the toughest and most exciting energy chain applications.