Electricity pylons and a substation

Power and energy

We design, analyse and install power systems for rail, utilities, industrial and defence sites, from HV distribution and substations to standby supplies and energy advice.

CapabilitiesProjects

Capabilities

Power systems engineering from feasibility and design through to installation, testing and commissioning.

  • HV and LV distribution

    Design and installation of high and low voltage networks, including power cabling and auxiliary supply points.

    Rail signalling power

  • Substations and switchgear

    Substation design and installation, with transformers, switchgear and ring main units.

  • Standby and resilient power

    UPS, standby generators and dual supply paths for loads that cannot lose power.

  • Load analysis and protection

    Full system analysis in ETAP and protection design, including auto-reclose distance protection.

  • Testing and commissioning

    Protection setting and compliance testing, before and after energisation.

  • Energy consulting

    Technical advice and energy efficiency studies for asset owners and operators.

  • Glasgow Subway train at a station platform
  • Inside a relocatable equipment building
  • OSL teams working on the railway at night
  • OSL engineers working in an equipment room

Selected projects

Power distribution and electrification for metro, main line and marine infrastructure.

  • Glasgow Subway power network

    SPT

    A new 11kV substation and 14km of tunnel power distribution, designed for 99.995% availability at the control centre and 99.9999% at each station.

    Project detail
    Challenge
    SPT needed power for a new Operational Control Centre and signalling equipment rooms across the Subway tunnels, with no outages to the running railway.
    Our role
    VR tunnel surveys, substation and distribution design in ETAP, a 700kVA standby generator, distance protection and full HV and LV commissioning, installed alongside the existing system.

  • Gatwick Station Project

    Power supplies pre-staged and integrated with the signalling and track works, reducing risk at the main commissioning.

    Project detail
    Challenge
    Gatwick Airport station is a pinch point on the Brighton Main Line, and throughput had to improve with minimal disruption.
    Our role
    Electrification and power supply design and installation, with early works such as cable rationalisation and banner repeater signals completed ahead of the main commissioning.

  • Rail track power

    Network Rail

    Power-dependent points, switches and signalling equipment inspected, tested and repaired to keep them in reliable service.

    Project detail
    Challenge
    Keep power-dependent track and signalling assets working reliably across designated Network Rail locations.
    Our role
    Inspection, diagnostic testing and repair, with full records of test results and component replacements.

  • Tilbury maintenance depot

    Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

    Power, lighting, plant and controls designed and built for a new dry dock at the Port of Tilbury.

    Project detail
    Challenge
    A new marine maintenance facility needed reliable power and plant in a demanding operational setting.
    Our role
    Mechanical, electrical and plant infrastructure on a design-and-build basis, working for Southbay Civil Engineering.

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