Yorkshire high voltage power specialist Smith Brothers has been awarded a five-year contract to provide ongoing maintenance at the Goole home of Europe’s leading flat glass producer, Saint Gobain.

The appointment follows news that Saint Gobain is investing £30m in its East Yorkshire site*, in a bid to further secure the long-term supply of high-quality glass in the UK – marking one of the largest single investments made in manufacturing capability in the UK glass and window industries this year.

Under the new agreement, Smith Brothers’ services and infrastructure division will be responsible for conducting all routine maintenance relating to one 11kV and two 66kV substations – as well as the power control room and all associated electrical and protective equipment.

Ben Whitaker, business development and sales manager at Smith Brothers explained: “This comprehensive maintenance agreement provides a healthy stream of work until 2026 – and falls firmly in line with our business strategy to bolster our flourishing maintenance portfolio.

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“There are not many contractors that can suitably operate and maintain both 66kV and 11kV infrastructure – as industrial sites usually rely on the latter. Therefore, we’re proud that our in-house expertise in high voltage (HV) and extra high voltage (EHV) – earned through years of working across a range of renewable and generation settings – enables us to ensure Saint Gobain Glass remains operational 24/7.”

The contract comes three years after Smith Brothers was appointed as the Independent Connection Provider (ICP) to upgrade the Eggborough manufacturing facility’s HV system and connect it to the grid.

Mick Dickinson, global reliability manager at Saint Gobain Glass added: “For manufacturing sites like ours – where smooth operations are key to business success – zero-downtime is really important, as any unforeseen interruptions can be highly disruptive.

“Having worked with Smith Brothers on various electrical upgrades to the site in 2018 – and knowing the reliability and quality of service we received – we were keen to keep them involved in our day-to-day operations when the time came to review our long-term maintenance provider.”

Works have already begun on the programme rollout – which will last until at least the end of May 2026 – in a bid to limit unnecessary downtime, nuisance tripping, and unexpected faults, while also ensuring substation safety for site workers.

Headquartered in Elland, West Yorkshire, Smith Brothers is a leading high-voltage power contractor with an expanding portfolio of completed network connection assignments throughout the UK – spanning the industrial, commercial, renewable, and utility sectors.

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