Lancashire engineering firm teams up with Icelandic energy company

A leading Lancashire manufacturer is celebrating a new deal that will see their electrical enclosures being installed in some of the toughest conditions on Earth after teaming up with a distributer - in Iceland.

Ritherdon, Britain’s leading electrical enclosure manufacturer, are pleased to announce they are collaborting with GP Orkulausnir Energy Solutions to provide high quality feeder pillars and electrical enclosures, for use across the North Atlantic island nation.

Already more than a dozen RB Cabinets, Ritherdon’s industry-leading stainless steel external electrical enclosure, have been shipped to Iceland, where they are being used by the electrical design and installation company – and standing up to the harsh Icelandic winter, where temperatures reach as low as -20 degrees Celsius.

GP Orkulausnir are also trialling Ritherdon’s fully recyclable PVC cabinet, and have been installing enclosures, that were all built in Ritherdon’s factory in Darwen, Lancsahire, across Iceland in a number of different markets.

The cost of the deal has been undisclosed.

Ben Ritherdon, managing director of Ritherdon, said: “We are delighted to announce that Ritherdon Cabinets are now being distributed and installed in Iceland thanks to our new partners, GP Orkulausnir.

“Our cabinets are already being used in a number of locations, including EV charging points, fish farms, and at hydroelectric and geothermal power stations.

“This is the first partnership we have forged in Iceland, and we hope it will carry on for many years to come.

“Iceland has some of the harshest weather conditions, yet we are hearing back from our client that our cabinets are performing above and beyond their expectations.

“This really opens up Scandinavia as a market for us, and other areas of course, as we can prove our cabinets can withstand any weather, especially the cold.”

GP Orkulausnir is owned by brothers Páll and Guðni Guðjónsson, and named after their father, who was an electrical contractor in South Iceland for decades.

They carry only the most rugged and strongest electrical enclosures to deal with Icelandic weather, so Ritherdon’s RB Cabinets, with their thick stainless steel walls and heavy duty powder-coated finish, are ideal.

The RB Cabinets are shipped ready to install, but they are looking into shipping their world’s first fully-recyclable PVC cabinets to Iceland flat.

Ben added: “This announcement has been a long time coming, but we now know what we only suspected before - our cabinets can withstand the worst winter weather in one of the coldest, most northerly countries in the world.

“We know there is much more scope for our products in Iceland, and Páll and Guðni are certainly very keen on helping open this market up for us all.

“The guys know exactly what they want, so we get on and make sure it’s ready for them.

“Stainless steel cabinets are unusual in Iceland, because of the cold, but they are telling us that our cabinets have held up perfectly over winter.

“People really like the quality of our products, and our hope is that this is just the start of a beautiful new working relationship.”

Ritherdon, who last year celebrated their 130th birthday, have already received a number of orders for more cabinets to be sent to Iceland and are expecting this to add significant revenues to their international trade.

The orders from GP Orkulausnir,  have come following a visit to Ritherdon’s Lancashire factory  by  Páll and Guðni Guðjónsson where they were able to see first hand, the innovative manufacturing processes and technical expertise Ritherdon put into their prodfucts.

Most of the cabinets will be used within Iceland’s power distribution network, where extreme temperatures, high winds and coastal conditions demand durable, high-performance solutions.

The feeder pillars and cabinets supplied as part of the project have been engineered to meet stringent performance standards, including resistance to corrosion, moisture and mechanical impact.

Ben added: “This project shows how British engineering expertise can play a role in strengthening energy infrastructure beyond our borders.

“Our products are designed to perform in demanding environments, and Iceland presents one of the most testing climates for electrical equipment.

“We’re proud that our enclosures have been selected for such an important application.”