Image: Lucy Electric
For more than a century, Lucy Electric has been supplying major utilities in the UK, Middle East and across the world, operating at the heart of major growing cities like London, Dubai, Riyadh and Bangkok delivering intelligent solutions that solve real world problems, write John A. Griffiths CEO, Lucy Electric, and Phil Dingle, Director of Future Networks.
As a trusted partner to the UK’s biggest utilities, we are excited to be bringing our cutting-edge customer specific solutions to Europe.
Ready for Europe’s SF6 ban
At the core of our business has always been our industry leading ring main unit design. As the utilities turn towards decarbonisation of energy generation and grid infrastructure, one of the key challenges Europe is facing is the elimination of SF6 from the distribution network.
When it comes to phasing out SF6, Europe is leading the way as the EU will ban new MV switchgear up to 24kV using SF6 from 2026 and 33kV from 2030. This regulation marks a significant shift in Europe’s energy infrastructure, aligning with broader climate goals and setting a precedent for global environmental policy.
Lucy Electric’s solutions don’t just bring competition from a new entrant to the market, but with them comes a wealth of expertise and experience from understanding how major cities around the world maintain stable power supplies for their citizens.
Every national energy grid is unique to the country and as a result, every solution needs to be tailored to specific requirements. Lucy Electrics’ global scale is underpinned by local expertise, meaning our solutions are bespoke to our customer’s needs. Across continents, Lucy Electric delivers safe, smart and sustainable solutions.
Aegis EcoTec 24kV – the customer-centric solution to the SF6 problem
Over the last few years, a race to create ring main units that employ technology other than SF6 has been going on behind the scenes as businesses move quickly to innovate. Lucy Electric’s engineers have been combining our collective experience and collaborating with our customers to come up with the solution the market requires.
After four years of hard work, we proudly launched our EcoTec range last year using synthetic air, paving the way for grid operators to reduce the emissions of running infrastructure as part of delivering net zero ambitions. The launch followed years of feasibility and close working with customers to inform the requirements of this key part of the MV network, and we are pleased to say it has passed a number of trials with network operators and been successfully energised.
Thanks to intelligent design, our Sabre EcoTec UK style RMU and the new Aegis EcoTec RMU have many commonalities in the internal design, enabling Lucy Electric to benefit from scaling up industrial processes. Our solution to the SF6 problem has been to use nothing more harmful than air itself. In fact, we are using synthetic air, meaning the dielectric material in the EcoTec range is purer than the air we breathe.
The entire electricity industry including our supply chain is determined to reduce its impact on the environment, and we expect not only the UK but also many countries around the world to ban or mandate the phasing out of SF6 from switchgear. We are already seeing interest from some of our customers in the developing world keen to be among the early adopters of SF6-free technology. For over a century we have been building trusted long-term partnerships, and we pride ourselves provide both the capabilities and the capacity to focus on solving complex engineering challenges with our customers.
As the EU is leading the charge in the ban of SF6 there is a clear need for a trusted partner to take them on this journey. Lucy Electric is perfectly placed to support European utilities with the decarbonisation of their network.
Case study: Decarbonising SP Energy Networks’ distribution network with UK’s first non-SF6 RMU
Our recent collaboration with SP Energy Networks (SPEN), one of the UK’s biggest network operators, on Sabre EcoTec, the UK’s first non-SF6 RMU transformer flange mounted is a testament to our collaborative approach with our long-term partners.
Working with SPEN from concept model reviews to prototype evaluations and final unit refinements, we developed and installed Sabre EcoTec, the UK’s first non-SF6 RMU. Our close collaboration with SPEN throughout the design process and beyond had tangible impacts such has ensuring that the Sabre EcoTec fits existing substation designs and is capable of housing our remote terminal units inside the casing.
The result, Sabre EcoTec, the UK’s first non-SF6 RMU.
Following the successful development and trialling of Sabre EcoTec, the collaboration ultimately concluded with agreement on the final specification for SPEN and the successful first power-on of the UK’s first non-SF6 RMU.
EcoTec is now helping SPEN to save more than 33 tonnes of CO2 per unit – the equivalent of 135,240km driven by an average sized vehicle.
Want to learn more about how to eliminate SF6 from your medium-voltage switchgear? Contact a member of the Lucy Electric team here.
