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SELLA CONTROLS to deliver Kent RTU Renewal Program

23 March 2022 | SELLA CONTROLS

Systems integration specialist SELLA CONTROLS Limited is pleased to announce the contract award by Lowery Limited to supply its TRACKLINK® RTU products for the Kent RTU Renewal Program.

Lowery have been successfully delivering rail engineering projects since 1998 to Network Rail and the industry supply chain and have developed and innovative and cost effective approach to renewals.

Substation Remote Terminal Units (RTU) are critical to the operation of the electrified railway. Loss of availability of these assets can have major impact on the network and therefore replacing an RTU needs to be simple, effective and with a minimum amount of downtown. This requirement was critical to the solution offered.

The contract covers the complete design, engineering, build and factory testing of 50+ TRACKLINK® RTU including their connection to the traction power SCADA system at Paddock Wood and Lewisham ECR. Using the Network Rail accepted TRACKLINK® RTU solution, SELLA CONTROLS will be supplying a combination of full RTU renewals and an innovative retrofit solution. Installation and commissioning is to be completed by Lowery with support from SELLA CONTROLS.

The new RTU will be supplied in a range of generic builds to reduce the level of design duplication when implementing the project. In addition to this the innovative retrofit solution will allow the new RTU to be installed into the existing RTU housing. This design will retain the majority of the existing plant wiring reducing the installation effort and material. The overall impact is a reduction in substation downtown and renewal cost.

Central to the TRACKLINK® RTU solution is a COTS based PLC supplied by Mitsubishi Electric. The iQR Series PLC provides the RTU with its intelligence and control and consists of core processing (CPU), Communications and I/O Modules.

Chris Elliott, SELLA CONTROLS Business Development Director for Rail commented. “The Kent RTU Renewal Program is a critical infrastructure project for Network Rail. The award of this contract by Lowery Limited is a major milestone for Sella Controls and the development of the TRACKLINK® RTU.”

Elliott added further. “Lowery approached SELLA CONTROLS’ with an innovative solution for the project. They challenged the business to deliver a TRACKLINK® RTU design that would deliver on this approach and achieve Network Rail’s requirements. Having worked successfully together on projects for HS2 and Network Rail previously, this opportunity will further strengthen our working partnership with Lowery Limited.”

Lowery have a reputation for quality and service that goes back over 70 years. As a Principal Contractor, they undertake Signalling, Telecoms, HV, DC, LV electrical installations and civil engineering works of all types whilst continually responding to market changes and developments.

Daniel Burge, Lowery Ltd Company Director of Power & Track commented. “This is another great opportunity for Lowery and SELLA CONTROLS to show case our collaborative capabilities as a safe, effective and agile delivery supplier for our client Network Rail”.

Note to Editors


About SELLA CONTROLS

Established in 1974 as SELLA CONTROLS, the company was appointed agent for HIMA Paul Hildebrandt for safety system products in 1983; and became Hima-Sella Ltd in 1994. In 2001, Hima-Sella Ltd received the first ever CASS certificate - awarded for functional safety management in accordance with IEC 61508. In June 2017 the company changed its name back to Sella Controls. The change of name reflects the successful and continued development of the business across an increasing number of industry sectors, whilst maintaining its long standing relationship with HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH of Bruehl, Germany.

Today, Sella Controls is recognised as a market leader in ‘engineered solutions’ for safety, control, automation and telecommunication applications in the oil & gas, petrochemical, rail, steel and power industries. Current services include completely integrated systems, panel building, sub-assemblies, product development and on-site support.

The company is an active member of RISQS – the standard database from which companies in the rail sector select their contractors and suppliers; First Point Assessment Limited (FPAL, the industry database from which those operating in the oil and gas industries select their contractors and suppliers); and the Joint Qualification Scheme (JQS, the prerequisite for suppliers to the oil industry in Norway and Denmark, as used by the top 20 oil companies in those countries). Sella Controls is also a member of several associations and industry-based councils, including the Railway Industries Association, Rail Alliance, Energy Industries Council, the Institute of Measurement & Control, and the Nuclear Industry Association, keeping the company up to date with the changes in legislation and standards.

Recent multi-million pound contracts won by Sella Controls in the rail sector are the design and supply of full integrated telecommunications system for the Central Line, Traction Power SCADA Renewals works across AC/DC Electrification and Tunnel Ventilation SCADA for the Piccadilly Line. (In the oil & gas sector the upgrade of critical safety equipment in Norway, at the world’s third largest liquid petroleum gas (LPG) processing plant, as well as offshore system in the North Sea and Indian Ocean.

The company is headquartered in Stockport with regional offices in Leicestershire and Aberdeen. In total, Sella Controls employs more than 100 full-time personnel and has a turnover in excess of £12million. The company’s quality management system has been approved to BS EN ISO 9001 since 1989.

Visit: www.sellacontrols.com/