Manchester engineering firm wins "landmark" £1m contract with UK energy giant

A Manchester based specialist engineering firm has been appointed to deliver a landmark project with the world’s authority on fusion energy, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

R&B Switchgear Group (R&B) is a provider of electrical switchgear and power engineering solutions for the marine, oil and gas, healthcare, education, rail, renewables and energy sectors.

Building on their existing partnership, this latest contract will see R&B design and build a fully bespoke switchboard solution to replace 30 obsolete power distribution systems at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire.

Part of the Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the UKAEA is one of the most important fusion research organisations and is focused on developing safe, sustainable energy as part of a carbon-free future.

Max Beswick, director, R&B said: “The UK Atomic Energy Authority is at the very cutting edge of fusion technology, and we are delighted to be working with such a prestigious, future-facing organisation.

“We knew the site would require a truly bespoke retrofit solution, especially given their current equipment has been in service for more than 50 years.”

Robert Sheppard, deputy head of buildings and facilities management, UKAEA, commented: “The bid from R&B Switchgear Group was of a very high quality and gave us full confidence of successful delivery of this contract.

“We look forward to working with them to implement these changes to our electrical infrastructure as part of our overall efforts to realise fusion energy, which has great potential for ensuring a low-carbon, sustainable source of energy over the coming decades.”

This latest contract comes as R&B celebrates key project wins with clients in the UK and globally, including TESCO, the NHS, TATA Steel, Royal Caribbean, and P&O UK.