Burtonwood gets HMS Astute off to a good start in Gibraltar

Burtonwood Generator & Switchgear Services Ltd have been involved in the maiden visit of Britain’s new hunter-killer submarine to Gibraltar as it set sail on is first operational mission after two years of sea trials.

The vessel, which has been described as ‘more complex than the space shuttle’, made her first call at Gibraltar before deployment to the Mediterranean and on into the Suez Canal.
The arrival of the submarine and its crew was welcomed by Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo who announced her visit in the Parliament prior to going on board HMS Astute with a warm welcome from the people of Gibraltar.

The Royal Navy has two Astute-class submarines, HMS Astute − the first in the series − and HMS Ambush. These are the largest attack submarines commissioned by the Royal Navy with a price tag of more than a £1 billion each.
In readiness for the visit Burtonwood Generator & Switchgear Services Ltd have installed two 1670kVA containerised generators in the Navy Dockyard to provide temporary power facilities for the submarine during its stay.

These purpose-built generators, associated fuel systems and electrical connections were designed and installed by a project team from Burtonwood working from its base in Gibraltar and took just two weeks to complete. Speaking from the Gibraltar office, Keith Littler, Managing Director, praised the team work and effort put in by the Burtonwood engineers, technicians and project supervisors to complete the work on time for the arrival of the submarine.
“This has been a complex project for us to coordinate, bringing together our resources both here in Gibraltar and back in the UK. Sourcing equipment, coordinating with local building contractors and liaison with the authorities has not been easy, but with the tremendous effort put in by our staff, we have created a power facility that can be used by further vessels for the future. I’m proud of the work we’ve done.”

HMS Astute has air recycling which means that the submarine can theoretically circumnavigate the planet without having to resurface and with its nuclear fuel system never have to refuel again during its 25-year service. However its limitations are down to the amount of food it has to carry for the 98 crew needed to man it.

The visit to Gibraltar provided such a brief time spent on the surface. The power facility installed by Burtonwood Generator & Switchgear Services allowed the vessel to connect to temporary power during its stay in the port with the nuclear power plant offline for the duration.