Saltholme Substation, Middlesbrough, UK

Project Overview

Kelvin Power, a substation design specialist, collaborated with Dura Composites to fabricate six Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) structures, ensuring safe access for authorised personnel. With expertise in GRP solutions for the energy sector, Dura’s prefabricated solutions reduce on-site man-hours, ensuring safety, reliability, and efficiency.

Dura facilitates safe access by authorised personnel.

Electricity substations are an integral component in the power network that allows the safe delivery of electricity to domestic and commercial customers. In this project at Saltholme Substation in Stockton-on-Tees, England, substation design specialist, Kelvin Power (part of the Vinci Energies group) was appointed by main contractor Omexom to supply a number of non-conductive access structures to facilitate safe passage to equipment cabinets.

Design, fabrication and supply.

Kelvin Power turned to long-term partner Dura Composites to design, fabricate and supply six Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) structures which allow safe access by authorised personnel. As noted by the general demarcation of the work area using the appropriate coloured and sleeved cones, the Dura Composites Access Structures are located within an area requiring a Limited Access Certificate, meaning they are only accessible by specific personnel who are trained to access to high voltage compounds and routes.

Choosing a pre-fabricated GRP step-up solution from Dura Composites significantly reduces the man-hours on site and can help to compress a project schedule. Our latest d² range of products deploy unique patented designs and the latest composite technology to deliver the safest, most cost-effective and durable solutions on the market. Our unique GRP floor gratings are tested to over a million footfalls (to BS7976) and all of our GRP profiles exceed the E23 grade, ensuring maximum performance.

Transitioning to a low carbon economy, whilst meeting demand.

Saltholme was constructed to help fulfil the UK’s need for “fast-start” and flexible power generation during high consumer demand, and was not opposed by the RSPB (who operate the adjacent land owned by Teesside Environmental Trust) on the basis that it “could actually help reduce carbon emissions during the period of transition towards a true low carbon, renewable energy economy by reducing the amount of gas used by large inefficient powerplants designed to be running at full power being used as a stop start backup.”

The use of Dura Composites ‘efficiently designed GRP structural components means each resulting structure is lighter than traditional equivalents, reducing the material embodied carbon by up to 50% and delivering a design life of sixty years.

The team at Dura Composites are very adept at understanding our requirements and at using the latest design and fabrication technologies to deliver assets for the energy industry that deliver long term value and are reliable, safe and efficient. Like us, Dura are certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing customer satisfaction through the implementation of integrated management systems. We look forward to working with them again on future projects.

Kelvin Power

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