Photo: Substation housing arrives at PSP’s Orion facility
Power Supply Projects Ltd were awarded the design, installation & commission of a new substation which once completed will provide power to the new Howdon Depot in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, this depot is part of the Nexus’ ever-growing Tyne and Wear Metro infrastructure.
Works towards delivery of the Howdon Depot project started way back in early 2019 where development of the design commenced based around the client’s concept of the Howdon Depot and its requirements. Our design team in collaboration with the client put countless hours into producing the outline & detailed design for the substation that would be required to provide power for the overhead line equipment, signaling & switching and domestic depot power.
Our project team brought together the supply chain to co-ordinate delivery of components required for the manufacture of the new Howdon Depot substation. Orion Park, Crewe is where the substation came together.
Our team of dedicated electrical engineers commenced with the construction of the substation at the beginning of March 2020. Careful consideration and planning from our engineers saw the manufacture of the substation come together ahead of programme, enabling thorough testing and commissioning of the substation.
The substation was ready for dispatch to site on the 10th April 2020, which comfortably met our client’s requirements and expectations.
Photo: Transformer Rectifier Unit inside of supplied Substation
Power Supply Projects Ltd started installation works onsite from the 6th April 2020, collaborating with our client, the Buckingham Group, and its supporting sub-contractors, we ensured that all enabling works were completed that made way for the substation to be landed onsite.
Thursday, 16th April 2020, the Howdon Depot Substation appeared onsite after its journey from Crewe, Cheshire. PSP Ltd’s project & lifting team with the support of the Buckingham Group, executed a successful and safe lifting operation that saw the substation land on its base in Newcastle. A major project milestone achieved.
Installation works proceeded onsite that would see the substation brought ever closer to being commissioned into service. Interconnecting cabling terminated into equipment, earth rods bore-holed into the ground with the earth tape connecting each rod together, and finally the 11kV power supply brought from Percy Main Substation into the Howdon Depot Substation and energised on Sunday 10th May 2020.
The core installation team have demonstrated a appetite for speaking up for safety, which has enabled PSP to maintain its outstanding safety record and further embed our just culture policy.
The substation currently awaits its final components to be brought into service.