Overview
Home to C Flight, 22 Squadron and the RAF Search and Rescue organisation, RAF Valley demands reliable continuous power supplies to ensure operations are maintained throughout each and every second of the day. When the site needed a number of generator canopies replacing, Shenton Group provided a complete turnkey operation, fully in-line with Ministry of Defence protocol.
Problem
RAF Valley, like all Ministry of Defence sites, must maintain operations continually and therefore, ensuring its array of backup generators are in pristine condition is a high priority.
The likelihood of mains power failures is on the increase, due to the lowest National Grid reserve power levels in recent years. This, coupled with RAF Valley’s remote Isle of Anglesey West coast location, meant that it needed to address wear to its existing generators, sooner rather than later.
Over the years, five generators had begun to exhibit corroded canopies and needed replacing on the site, yet working within such a sensitive location requires the strict adherence to strict Ministry of Defence regulations and security protocols.
The Solution
Richard Meek, Shenton Group Strategic Director, commented: “Shenton Group engineers have a great deal of experience working with the Ministry of Defence. As a company, we understand the intricacies of MoD protocols, including security regulations. This enables our engineers to focus better on getting the job-in-hand completed quickly and to the very highest standards”.
Located in a very exposed coastal environment, the generators’ canopies had corroded and needed replacing. The five generators required new drop-over GRP enclosures, especially designed by Shenton Group to feature stainless steel, motorised louvres and exhausts. Shenton Group undertook a complete turnkey operation, from initial design through to installation.
Outcomes
RAF Valley’s generator set is now protected by bespoke drop-over GRP enclosures, effectively shielding them from harsh coastal weather and corrosion. The enclosures help to ensure that the site’s generators remain in pristine condition, and therefore, are able to provide ample backup power in the event of any brown-out or blackout.
Following the completion of the project, the TSO Mechanical & Electrical at RAF Valley said: “Can you please pass on my thanks to your engineers whose hard work and professionalism was evident at all times during the project. I know working on MoD sites can be a bit tricky at times, with regulations, passes, etc. but at no time did this phase them”. He added: “The job has gone extremely well, from the initial design to the work complete, and as you can see, this is reflected on the completion certificates. The job has gone extremely well from the initial design to the work completed”.
About Shenton Group
Shenton Group is the UK’s leading technical expert in standby power, uninterruptible power supplies, and combined heat and power supplies. The company provides power solutions to organisations spanning a broad array of industries that rely on continuous power supplies and includes; finance, telecoms, healthcare, IT, manufacturing, education, government, utilities, retail, sport and leisure, and of course, the military.
Shenton Group’s standby generator range includes single and three phase generator solutions, ranging from 10kVA to 3.2MVA. Being British built to the highest quality and safety standards, Shenton Group generators are ideal for use as prime power or standby power supply usage. All Shenton Group diesel generators include; a full range of weatherproof canopies to meet sound attenuation levels; proven industry-leading control systems and switchgear hardware; integral bunded base-frame fuel tanks and fuel management systems; containerised modular solutions; custom built drop-over acoustic canopies; and skid-mounted ‘open’ sets for specific applications.
About RAF Valley
Royal Air Force Valley is the RAF’s Advanced Tactics and Training Unit. Located on the western coast of the Isle of Anglesey, the Station is responsible for the advanced flying, tactics and weapons training for all the United Kingdom Armed Forces fast jet pilots. The base is also home to C Flight, 22 Squadron of the RAF Search and Rescue organisation and is the parent unit for the Search and Rescue Training Unit which trains the SAR crews for the RAF