A galvanizing firm has played a helping hand in a project that has seen the production of vital air sampling units at one of the largest combined heat and power stations in the world.

Saffron Walden-based Acrow Galvanizing, part of Wedge Group Galvanizing, was called upon to provide its specialist service to steel panels used to create ducting units at the Isle of Grain power station in Kent. The £500m station currently supplies around one million homes and around 340MW of heat energy to the National Grid making it one of biggest of its kind globally with an overall efficiency of 72%.

The plant worked in partnership with Hertfordshire-based metal fabrication company Hadham Engineering, who manufactured the sheets of steel, a collaboration that marked the first project of its kind for both firms.


John Nicholson, Commercial Manager at Acrow Galvanizing, said: "This was a fantastic project to be involved in and one which certainly had its challenges, but ones which we embraced fully to achieve a hugely successful outcome.

"One of the key challenges was the need to manufacture the individual steel panels as large as possible to reduce the number of joints. The unit was required to retain 2 bar of air pressure and with every joint providing a possibility of air leakage, this had to be kept to an absolute minimum.

"Whilst having to produce sheets of steel of such magnitude, we also needed to ensure that the sections could be accommodated within our galvanizing facilities, and we worked closely with the Hadham Engineering team throughout every single stage of production, from initial design to final installation. We are delighted with the end result."

Wedge Group Galvanizing is the largest hot dip galvanizing organisation in the UK with a history dating back over 150 years. With 14 plants strategically placed across the country, they offer a truly national galvanizing service.

For further information please contact Wedge Group Galvanizing on 01902 630311 or visit www.wedge-galv.co.uk.