Switchgear - In Focus
Customers
P&B’s retrofits have been installed in the majority of coal-fired power stations in the UK, as well as several nuclear power stations, distribution networks and industrial sites.
Through their partnership with GFF, P&B have expanded their global presence to Australia and New Zealand in recent years, addressing local client needs in both the industrial and utility sectors.
P&B’s international customers include a long list of prestigious organisations including generation and distribution companies such as British Energy, Scottish Power, Scottish & Southern Energy, CS Energy, Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, and a plethora of industrial companies including the likes of BOC, Glencore, Bluescope Steel, ExxonMobil, Rio Tinto, and Shell.
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About P&B Switchgear
Since 1991, P&B have become a market leader by designing, type testing and building many medium-voltage vacuum breaker designs. These are used to retrofit and replace air or oil break circuit breakers manufactured by a range of well-known UK OEMs.
P&B have built a portfolio of products based on a high level of engineering expertise and significant investment. P&B have allocated hundreds of thousands of pounds towards type testing, to ensure P&B Switchgear designs are fully proven for the ratings covered.
P&B Divisions
The PBSI Group includes both relay and switchgear divisions, offering a range of complementary products.
Through decades of ABB product experience, via the incorporation of key ABB components into their retrofit vacuum breakers, P&B Switchgear are recognised as an Expert Partner. P&B Switchgear’s specialised design and production techniques, combined with ABB’s extensive proven supply history, provides the end-user with an extremely reliable yet tailored solution.
P&B have been designing and manufacturing industry-leading protection relays for over 70 years. Due to a rising global demand for solutions to increasing obsolescence issues relating to ageing relays, P&B have established a vast array of pin-for-pin retrofit relay solutions. These modern retrofit relays not only resolve immediate reliability concerns, but incorporate intelligent protection and control functionality. This class of P&B equipment is currently in operation worldwide – often in very onerous operating and environmental conditions.
It is important to note that 95% of total components used in P&B’s relays are manufactured in-house at their state-of-the-art Manchester facility. This provides P&B with extensive flexibility and quality control.
Products
Retrofit Circuit Breakers
P&B have retrofitted a wide range of circuit breakers, from 415V to 11kV air break, bulk oil and vacuum designs for a large number of well-known OEMs. This includes AEI, Brush, English Electric, Ferguson Pailin, GEC, South Wales Switchgear, Reyrolle and Whipp & Bourne.
P&B VOR-M-GEC-BVP17
P&B VOR-S-Brush VSI
P&B offer two types of Vacuum Oil Replacement breaker to replace bulk oil and vertically isolated vacuum breakers. Their VOR-S typically incorporates an ABB VD4 spring-operated vacuum circuit breaker. For customers who prefer an alternative to the spring mechanism, GFF and P&B can offer the VOR-M breaker, which utilises ABB’s proven embedded vacuum interrupter poles, driven by a high-duty and reliable magnetic actuator.
An extensive range of type tests have been performed in independent, accredited laboratories, to validate the integrity of each retrofit design.
Some of the benefits of using retrofit switchgear include:
- Increased operating reliability and safety – reduced risk of failure
- Removal of health hazards such as asbestos in ACBs and the potential fire risk of oil switchgear - this can reduce insurance premiums
- Higher short circuit ratings available – P&B have developed retrofits for short circuit ratings up to 63kA
- Reduced maintenance requirements
- Extend switchgear service life by up to 30 years
Benefits over replacing complete Switchboards include:
- Significant overall cost savings
- Reduced project completion timelines
- Minimal down-time and service disruption
- No need to disturb or replace existing HV cables
- Can be spread over extended period to accommodate budget constraints
