Spotted this place just before Christmas, had no idea what it was but pinned it anyway. Having a rare Saturday off work I decided to go and have a look. Once home done some digging on google and found a bit of info on the place.
History
The GE Power Conversion site in Rugby has been manufacturing electrical components for the Royal Navy since the First World War. (Sometimes referred to as the Rotating Machines, Rugby (RMR) Factory). The site has unique manufacturing capabilities needed to produced quiet and shock-resistant electric motors for naval applications. In the recent past they manufactured the Advanced Induction Motors (AIM) for the Type 45 destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. They have also made the very high specification ultra-quiet motors needed for submarine hunting for the first three Type 26 Frigates. Around 90% of the current Naval Service fleet have GE-made electrical equipment on board.
RMR has the largest air vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) tank in the world. This tank is used to seal the insulation in high-voltage motors and generators. The VPI process prevents leaks and corrosion while improving heat dissipation making for efficient, reliable long-life motors. Also on the site is a 250-tonne gantry crane and many other facilities that cannot simply be popped on the back of a lorry and moved to France. The factory has been built up over decades with considerable investment in large, complex and highly engineered plant that would cost £millions to relocate or replicate elsewhere. Of course, more valuable even than the plant is the existing workforce of dedicated people with decades of accumulated specialist experience in naval electrical component manufacture.
In November 2018 GE announced it plans to close its Power Conversion plant in Rugby and move operations to France by the end of 2019.
Explore
This place is massive but unfortunately the copper thieves and youths have trashed it. Once on site you’re pretty secluded so have time to have a look around without feeling rushed. Spent about two hours here with no issues. Although I did hear someone coughing which put me on edge as it was a solo one.
Photos
History
The GE Power Conversion site in Rugby has been manufacturing electrical components for the Royal Navy since the First World War. (Sometimes referred to as the Rotating Machines, Rugby (RMR) Factory). The site has unique manufacturing capabilities needed to produced quiet and shock-resistant electric motors for naval applications. In the recent past they manufactured the Advanced Induction Motors (AIM) for the Type 45 destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. They have also made the very high specification ultra-quiet motors needed for submarine hunting for the first three Type 26 Frigates. Around 90% of the current Naval Service fleet have GE-made electrical equipment on board.
RMR has the largest air vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) tank in the world. This tank is used to seal the insulation in high-voltage motors and generators. The VPI process prevents leaks and corrosion while improving heat dissipation making for efficient, reliable long-life motors. Also on the site is a 250-tonne gantry crane and many other facilities that cannot simply be popped on the back of a lorry and moved to France. The factory has been built up over decades with considerable investment in large, complex and highly engineered plant that would cost £millions to relocate or replicate elsewhere. Of course, more valuable even than the plant is the existing workforce of dedicated people with decades of accumulated specialist experience in naval electrical component manufacture.
In November 2018 GE announced it plans to close its Power Conversion plant in Rugby and move operations to France by the end of 2019.
Explore
This place is massive but unfortunately the copper thieves and youths have trashed it. Once on site you’re pretty secluded so have time to have a look around without feeling rushed. Spent about two hours here with no issues. Although I did hear someone coughing which put me on edge as it was a solo one.
Photos
