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Upgraded power for Bookham

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 14, 2005

A major electrical systems infrastructure upgrade project at Bookham's optical semiconductor facility near Northampton has been completed by ABB's Power Technologies business.

A major electrical systems infrastructure upgrade project at Bookham's optical semiconductor facility near Northampton has been completed by ABB's Power Technologies business.

The project, worth over GBP 2 million, was project managed by Ove Arup with Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers and ABB acting as principal contractor.

Bookham is a global provider in the design, manufacture and marketing of optical and RF components, modules and subsystems.

The company's products are used in a variety of applications and industries including telecomms, datacomms, aerospace and defence.

The company's optical semiconductor facility in Caswell near Northampton covers both research and development and production.

Regular power interruptions, brownouts and harmonic distortion issues were affecting the production of semiconductor wafers and the crystal growth process vital to the efficient operation of the plant.

Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers assisted Bookham in analysing the existing infrastructure and develop an outline design to improve power quality and supply.

It was vital to avoid any disruption to the key production operations.

Among the challenges to be addressed were the fact that the site has grade one listed buildings in a rural location and that the site is tightly licensed by the Environment Agency because of the prevalence of toxic chemicals and gases.

Bookham had also set firm demands for the power quality required, in particular strict limitations on the damaging harmonics which could circulate on its network.

ABB Power Technologies won the contract for the design, build and installation of the new electrical infrastructure acting as principal contractor on the project.

The work included the design and build of a number of substations, 11kV incomer, generators, low voltage circuits and the high voltage network.

The high voltage system was designed to provide diverse routes with semi-automatic open point switching to improve the resilience of the network.

Substations are modular in design and provide space to allow for future growth.

Transformers are standard output, cast resin construction, have low impedance characteristics and include options for forced cooling.

Modular low voltage switchgear was selected to provide the best performance, safe maintenance and easy future upgrading.

Packaged generator sets with low fuel consumption, and fitted with low sub-transient reactance alternators to improve power quality, were also provided.

The result has been a complete new high and low voltage network designed, installed and commissioned on a challenging site without any significant disruption to existing operations.

This includes the seamless integration of 2.5MW of normal and standby power in existing hazardous areas together with extensive modification of the existing distribution system within the plant.

A strong culture of innovation and sustainability has pervaded the project with a strong focus on an extended lifecycle, energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

The project was completed in two phases and was chosen as the Building Services Awards 2004 Project of the Year.