• • • NEWS • • •
ucy Electric’s EV Infrastructure division has renewed its ChargeUK membership for a second consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the UK’s accelerating transition to electric vehicles. For 2026, membership will sit directly with Lucy Electric EV Infrastructure, reflecting the division’s growing role in delivering the electrical infrastructure that underpins EV charging deployment nationwide. Previously held at Lucy Group level, the move signals a sharper focus on EV Infrastructure as a core strategic priority.
ChargeUK represents the organisations responsible for delivering the UK’s public EV charging infrastructure. Its members operate more than two thirds of the public chargepoints in the UK today. Its work to foster a stable policy environment, unlock investment, and strengthen industry collaboration is widely recognised as critical to achieving national electrification and Net Zero ambitions. Tom Goodman, General Manager at Lucy Electric EV Infrastructure, commented: “The EV transition depends on more than chargepoints alone. It relies on robust, future-ready electrical
LUCY ELECTRIC EV INFRASTRUCTURE DEEPENS INDUSTRY COLLABORATION WITH RENEWED CHARGEUK PARTNERSHIP L
infrastructure that can support rapid growth, from residential charging to ultra-fast commercial networks. Renewing our membership with ChargeUK under Lucy Electric EV Infrastructure reflects our commitment to enabling that infrastructure and playing an active role in shaping the industry’s long-term resilience and delivery strategy.”
As EV rollout expands across residential, commercial, and public networks, the company
continues to support customers with medium and low-voltage distribution solutions designed to energise sites efficiently, safely and at scale. Through continued engagement with ChargeUK, Lucy Electric EV Infrastructure aims to help remove barriers to deployment and ensure the UK’s charging network is supported by compliant, scalable solutions.
https://www.lucyelectric.com
xcitation control specialist Excitation & Engineering Services (EES) presented a generator refurbishment case study at the Steam Turbine and Generator User Group Conference (STGUG) on March 10, 2026. The presentation, delivered by graduate electrical engineer Deepal Trikha, focused on how upgrading excitation hardware and control systems can significantly extend the operational life of ageing synchronous generators.
BRUSHLESS EXCITATION UPGRADES TO 90-YEAR-OLD GENERATOR PRESENTED TO INDUSTRY E
The project examined a 12 MW hydroelectric generator at Carsfad Power Station, part of the Galloway Hydro-Electric Scheme and originally commissioned in 1936. Remarkably, the plant had continued operating with its original DC commutator-based excitation system for nearly 90 years. While the system had historically enabled flexible and rapid-response operation, it relied on brushes and commutators that are now obsolete and prone to wear, creating reliability risks.
In the original setup, an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) controlled a shaft-mounted DC exciter, with power transferred to the generator field through a mechanical field switch. According to Trikha, this configuration created a three- second response time to a five per cent voltage step due to the additional exciter stage between the AVR and the generator. To modernise the system, electrical contractor Quartzelec removed the DC exciter and mechanical field switch and installed a brushless exciter. EES oversaw the control integration, including AVR modelling and system retuning. The upgraded configuration now generates AC excitation power through a brushless exciter and converts it to DC using a rotating diode bridge on the rotor.
This new arrangement delivers DC directly to the generator field without mechanical commutation or switching, eliminating several maintenance-intensive components. As a result, the generator now responds faster to voltage changes while maintaining stable performance without overshoot.
Ryan Kavanagh, Director at EES, emphasised that expertise in excitation systems will be increasingly important as Scotland expands hydroelectric generation and long-term energy storage to support energy independence and grid flexibility.
https://excitationengineering.co.uk 6 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • MARCH 2026
electricalengieneeringmagazine.co.uk
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