This shock generator represents the core of Hager Group's new power testing laboratory, among the most advanced in Europe. It will be inaugurated at the end of 2024. This €16 million investment will enable the Group to strengthen its position in international markets dedicated to electrical distribution solutions for commercial buildings.

This is the largest project of its kind in the entire history of the Grand-Est region: after 3 years of design and construction in the north of France, and a journey of over 1,000 km on waterways and roads, the generator arrived in Alsace and integrated the Obernai industrial site. Transportation methods are in line with the extraordinary dimensions of the generator: 7 meters long and 3 meters in diameter, with a total weight of 110 tons. Capable of rotating at over 3,000 rpm, this generator can produce a short-circuit current of over 150,000 amperes. By way of comparison, the maximum current that passes through an electrical outlet when charging a mobile phone is 16 amperes.

Development of the tertiary sector business

The installation of the new laboratory and its generator will enable the Group to develop and internally test its products dedicated to international tertiary markets: shopping centres, multi-residential buildings, hotels, offices, etc.

By bringing together its development teams and all the testing resources needed for the design, validation, and certification of circuit breakers and electrical distribution cabinets for commercial buildings on its main site, the Obernai R&D centre is strengthening its expertise in electrical engineering and power devices. Once operational, the laboratory will enable over 150 technicians and engineers to develop new projects, provide Hager Group with even more expertise in innovation and R&D, and support our international growth.

" We're going to push electrical distribution systems to the limit by creating short circuits that generate huge electric arcs to guarantee our products a level of excellence in terms of safety and efficiency" assures Jean François Bonnardot, Engineering & Operations Senior Director at Hager Group.

Innovation and sustainability

This laboratory is resolutely innovative in its design: it is indeed the first to take into account the imperatives of sustainable development from its conception. Unlike other similar installations, its operation will not be continuous, and a part of the energy produced during the testing phases will be reused in other buildings on the Obernai site.

As we await the launch of this extraordinary project, we invite you watch the video of the generator's journey.