December 2024: We are proud to announce that Lucy Electric has won Utility Partner of the Year at the prestigious 2024 Utility Week Awards for our ongoing collaboration with UKPN on developing the UK’s first non-SF6 Ring Main Unit (RMU), Sabre EcoTec. The RMU does not utilise the greenhouse gas SF6 for insulation, thereby decarbonising crucial network infrastructure and parts of the supply chain.
The award highlights the importance of collaboration and long-term partnership in delivering outstanding essential services for today and tomorrow. This industry recognition is a testament to our talented team who have worked tirelessly to deliver the UK’s first RMU that meets DNO specifications, well ahead of an anticipated SF6 ban.
This achievement reflects four years of dedicated development and close collaboration with our DNO partner. We listened extensively to customer feedback to optimise the design, such as embedding the control unit and the smart solutions and including remote controls available as standard. This means that substations do not need to be redesigned to fit EcoTec, enabling an easy transition.
Since 2020, we have been investing in the development of Sabre EcoTec and we’re already starting to see the results. EcoTec is making a significant impact, helping grid operators achieve Net Zero by saving the equivalent of more than 33 tonnes of CO2 per unit.
Through our ongoing efforts, we ensure that our utility partners are equipped to adapt to future regulatory changes, contributing not only to their Net Zero goals but also to those of wider society.
Key collaboration partner, UK Power Networks said:
“UK Power Networks looks to build strong supply chain partnerships that enable us to deliver the best infrastructure solutions for our customer’s needs, as cost effectively as possible. Lucy Electric has been such a great partner for over 100 years and this latest innovation is incredibly exciting. The development and launching of EcoTec, as the first synthetic air RMU in the UK, is an essential component of our efforts to decarbonise operations and reach our Net Zero ambitious.”
Powering the transition to sustainable energy networks
With the widespread use of RMUs and the projected expansion of the electricity networks, a UK wide implementation of EcoTec has the potential to save millions of tonnes of CO2.
Given the increasing requirement for package substations to support the UK’s push towards decarbonisation, including meeting public EV charging needs and growing renewable development, Sabre EcoTec will play a critical role in feeding energy to our streets and houses.
Looking ahead to 2025, we remain dedicated to strengthening our partnerships and driving innovation. Together, we will continue to support our utility partners in their mission to achieve a green grid by 2030.