Liverpool FC have just finished redeveloping their iconic Main Stand, as part of a £260m scheme for the whole Anfield area. The ground, famed for its Kop stand and thrilling big-game atmosphere in the Premier League and Champions League nights, will have its capacity extended by an extra 13,000 seats, increasing its maximum capacity to 54,000. This is part of an ongoing re-development of the stadium, with further improvements planned for the future.
“…the Effekta system cuts in automatically providing instant emergency lighting…”
Liverpool’s brand new ‘Main Stand’ officially opened on the 9th September 2016 and has been transformed into one of the largest all seat single stands in European football.
The new stand features expansive public spaces, state-of-the-art facilities and a world-class facility for supporters to see the Reds play.
Powervamp became involved with this high-profile redevelopment when they were awarded the contract to supply one of their Effekta emergency lighting central battery systems.
Should the incoming mains electricity fail in any part of the building, the Effekta system cuts in automatically providing instant emergency lighting. Under UK law, there is an obligation for all public buildings to be equipped with this facility.
“…120kVA’s worth of power is equivalent to powering 200 houses for 3 hours…”
Not only must the lighting be restored seamlessly but the emergency system must also be able to maintain an acceptable lux level (brightness) for long enough to allow the public to evacuate the premises safely. In most cases the expected battery autonomy for the system is likely to be either one hour or three hours.
The 120kVA 3-phase in / 3-phase out emergency lighting inverter system supplied was one of the largest that Powervamp had manufactured to date.
To put the power requirement into context – 120kVA’s worth of power required to operate the emergency lighting long enough to evacuate the new Main Stand is equivalent to powering 200 houses for 3 hours – and using only dry-cell batteries!
The bespoke system was designed to supply multiple lighting circuits throughout the new main stand expansion, which in turn powered multiple LED light fittings via various changeover relays.
“Powervamp were the only company able to provide a suitable solution…”
The unit was delivered with fourteen tonnes of batteries yet the onsite work only took two weeks for the Powervamp engineers to complete. Works included constructing a six metre battery stand, a battery build assembly and making numerous connections – including a bespoke terminal arrangement to accommodate 2 x 185mm2 multicore armoured cable.
Project management and co-ordination with onsite staff and other trades was essential to allow the smooth delivery in a constantly challenging environment.
Following the installation, Powervamp engineers also completed a full commissioning of the equipment before the hand over.
Powervamp were one of only two Central Battery System manufacturers originally shortlisted by the Building Consultant.
However, Powervamp were the only company able to provide a suitable solution, and it was the in-house design and engineering capabilities that proved to be a successful factor in winning the contract.
In addition to designing and building the central battery system, Powervamp were also able to engage with the lighting controls company in order to provide a suitable solution between the two systems.
With the new Main Stand now open and receiving positive reviews from the clubs fans, Powervamp is proud to have been involved in this massive redevelopment and wishes Liverpool FC every success this season.
