Eaton has secured a major order from Europe’s largest energy utility, EDF Energy, to supply and install its Innovac MMS medium-voltage switchgear in a new primary substation in Stratford, East London.  This will serve a large development area.

The order represents a significant breakthrough into the UK utility sector for Eaton, a leading supplier of low voltage and medium voltage installation equipment for residential, commercial, industrial and public buildings.   The order comprises more than 60 of Eaton’s 11kV Innovac MMS double-busbar panels equipped with vacuum circuit-breakers.

It follows detailed technical evaluation by EDF Energy before adding Eaton to its Approved Vendor List.  In parallel with the award of the order, Eaton has been included in the EDF Energy ‘Framework Contract’ to supply double-busbar switchgear for the next three years, with an option to extend this to 2012.   A number of substations in London and the surrounding area have already been designated for MMS within the tenure of this framework contract.

Double-busbar switchgear is used in applications where supply resilience is of paramount importance.  It involves higher than average redundancy within the equipment but the double-busbar construction reduces the space requirement, and the cost, compared with duplex systems.   The compact footprint and ‘green’ SF6-free design of Innovac MMS equipment were significant factors in EDF Energy’s decision to place this order with Eaton.  

This will be the first UK order for Innovac MMS switchgear, which is already used in major utility applications in a number of European Cities.

The project will benefit from the ‘green’ credentials of the switchgear.  It uses vacuum circuit-breakers with dry-type insulation, free from the greenhouse gas SF6, and constructed from materials that can be recycled at the end of life.

Maintenance is virtually zero because there is no gas filling to be monitored and the vacuum interrupters have a proven life in excess of 25 years.  Consequently total cost of ownership is lower than with some alternative systems.

The contract involves manufacture, installation and commissioning of the Innovac MMS switchgear.  The switchgear forms part of the equipment in the new 132/11kV primary substation that will serve 100 local substations across the area.  The electrical infrastructure is designed to support the long-term regeneration of the area well beyond 2012.