Sellindge Converter Station, Ashford

Sellindge Converter Station in Ashford, Kent, is part of the National Grid infrastructure and it’s a 2000MW (2 Gigawatt) high voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical interconnector between Sellindge (GB) and Les Mandarins (France).

Client: National Grid
Architect: Jacobs Engineering Group
Construction Manager: Murphy International limited

Scope of Works

Over 19,000m2 of Durasteel® 240EI boarding system complete with over 52,000Lm of galvanised channels and 27,000m2 of Mineral Insulation
6,500m2 of Vermiculux boarding
Cavity Barriers
Fire Stopping
Timber and Durasteel® Fire Doors

The fire that ripped through this Station on 15th of September 2021 had shut down part of this interconnector.

Overview

The loss of the 1 Gigawatt link, which is a net importer of power from France, has put a strain on the UK’s network, which was already facing a supply crunch that has seen market prices surge to a record high. It was being reported that, as a result, coal plants are being warmed up to cover the loss and meet the expected increase in demand.

What we did

Sharpfibre Limited entered talks early in the spring of 2022 and after several discussions with Murphy and Jacobs we were appointed to start the works in late June. Multiple teams of highly skilled and experienced specialists from different internal departments within Sharpfibre were swiftly assembled to take on the challenge.

Full Project details

Find out more about our 2025 project of the year

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It quickly became apparent that very few suppliers or installers could meet the huge challenges the project presented. Thankfully, due to the national importance of the project, Sharpfibre were able to meet these challenges. Installing over 13,000m2 of Durasteel and 5,500m2 of Vermiculux S to provide 4-hour compartment walls, ceilings and protection to structural steelwork in a matter of weeks.

Sharpfibre dealt with multiple design, installation and co-ordination problems throughout the project. Remarkably given the volume of work completed, the installation was of extremely high quality as observed by the multiple site inspections undertaken during installation by Etex Building Performance.

Sharpfibre were brave to even attempt a job of this scale and have delivered with merit to the benefit of national grid and the country. In our view given the scale, importance and complexity of the installation it would be extremely deserving of the award for best project of the year.

Joshua Slack National Specification Manager, Promat – Etex Building Performance Ltd

It is phenomenal to see the progress that has been made on the rebuild since demolition was completed in March… What really impressed me was the level of communication and cooperation you have generated… What gave me confidence today was the quality of the build I saw – no evidence that build quality is being impaired by schedule yet…

David Wright Chief Engineer at National Grid

Services we carried out on this project

Durasteel Installation

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From initial planning to seamless post-installation support, Sharpfibre offers an all-encompassing solution that spans a wide range of products, effectively addressing the majority of passive fire-related concerns.

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