• PROJECT • HEYSHAM 1 (HEYSHAM A), LANCASHIRE
Heysham 1
HVAC & Heating Upgrades Programme
A multi-scope HVAC and heating upgrades programme across five areas of Heysham 1 nuclear power station. Replacing legacy steam-based systems with modern electric alternatives, delivered on a live site throughout.
PROJECT STATUS:
✅ Design
✅ EC Authoring
✅ Procurement
🗓️ Installation · 2026–27
🗓️ Commissioning · 2027
SITE
Heysham 1
LOCATION
Heysham, Lancashire
CLIENT
EDF / Dalkia
SCOPE
5 systems · HVAC · Heating · EC&I
TIMELINE
2023-2027
Energy Consultancy is delivering a comprehensive nuclear HVAC and heating upgrade programme at Heysham 1, replacing legacy steam-based heating systems across five distinct areas of the station with modern electric alternatives.
The programme spans HVAC design and installation, EC&I, control panel engineering, specialist plant procurement, and a full documentation package across every scope. Design and procurement are complete; physical installation is underway across the site throughout 2026 and 2027, with the station live throughout.
The work is commissioned by EDF Energy and delivered through Dalkia, covering a broad range of building services across multiple buildings and functions within the station, all managed as a single coordinated programme under the Heysham Heating Upgrades umbrella.
STANDARDS APPLIED
DOCUMENTATION
RAMS · QP · LTRP · Lift Plans
EC AUTHORING
Engineering Change documentation throughout
TESTING
Pressure testing (R32) · Site Acceptance Test
SITE
Live operational station throughout
The Challenge
Delivering a five-scope heating and HVAC upgrade programme within a live nuclear power station introduces layers of complexity that go beyond the engineering itself:
Station live throughout
All works are coordinated around Heysham 1’s operational schedule. Plant isolations must be carefully managed to avoid impact on active systems, particularly where scopes touch equipment with a nuclear safety function.
Safety-critical environment
The Reactor Basement heating systems exist specifically to maintain temperatures that protect motors, valves, pumps, and heat exchangers serving various cooling water systems with a nuclear safety function. Engineering to this standard requires a level of precision and documentation that goes well beyond standard building services work.
Lifting in constrained spaces
Heavy plant, including large heater batteries and control panels, must be lifted onto roofs and manoeuvred into plant rooms with limited access. Lift Plans form part of the documentation package for every scope that involves heavy plant movement.
R32 refrigerant handling
The Chemical Monitoring Lab HVAC system uses R32 refrigerant, requiring pressure testing of the new system before commissioning, an additional technical step not present in standard HVAC replacement projects.
Multi-scope coordination
Five separate engineering scopes, each with its own plant specification, control panel design, documentation requirements, and commissioning programme, delivered as a single coordinated programme without gaps or clashes in the site programme.
Our Approach
Energy Consultancy led the full design process across all five scopes from 2023, producing Design Substantiation Reports, CAD drawings, and Engineering Change documentation for each system. Plant was specified to meet the exact requirements of each location, from the R32-rated refrigerant circuit in the Chemical Monitoring Lab through to the precise kilowatt ratings of the heater batteries in the Reactor Basement and Shielded Facilities Block.
Equipment across all five scopes was procured to Energy Consultancy’s own design specification, a critical distinction in a nuclear environment, where off-the-shelf specifications rarely align with what the site actually requires. Procurement is complete across the programme, with all plant on site or staged for installation.
Physical installation is underway across the station, coordinated around Heysham 1’s live operational schedule. Works include full decommissioning and removal of existing steam-based systems before new plant is installed, with each scope managed to minimise impact on wider station operations. Lifting operations onto roofs and into constrained plant rooms are managed against individual Lift Plans as part of the RAMS documentation for each scope.
Each scope includes a full C&I package, new control panels, instrumentation, and full decommissioning and commissioning of all systems before handover. The Chemical Monitoring Lab ASHP system requires pressure testing of the R32 circuit as a commissioning prerequisite. All systems will be signed off through a formal commissioning process and Site Acceptance Test prior to handover. The CWS automated controls included sequencer functionality, ensuring the system operated safely and efficiently under varying load conditions.
Full design and procurement of 2x domestic calorifiers with built in immersion heaters and associated expansion vessels and instrumentation. Pipework and valve modifications. Control panel design and procurement. Replacing and installing new calorifiers, control panel and instrumentation. Full de-commissioning and & commissioning.
Replacement of 2x Steam HB’S with 2x 69KW Heater Batteries. Designed to spec and procured. We will be replacing and installing them new. Full design to meet specification. 2x Control Panels one for each hatter battery designed and to install. Installation of new electrical instrumentation. Full decommissioning and commissioning. Purpose = maintain specific temperatures to protect motors, valves, pumps and heat exchangers for various cooling water systems with nuclear safety function in the reactor basement.
Outcomes & Deliverables
On completion of the full programme, Heysham 1 will receive a modern, electric heating infrastructure across five building services systems, replacing legacy steam plant and reducing maintenance risk across critical areas of the station. The documentation package, produced consistently across all five scopes, will include:
- Basis of Design — all scopes
- Design Substantiation Reports
- CAD drawings — all scopes
- Quality Plans (QP)
- Control panel design documentation
- Lifetime Record Pack (LTRP) — on completion
- Design of Operations
- Engineering Change documentation
- Risk & Method Statements (RAMS)
- Lift Plans — heavy plant scopes
- Site Acceptance Test records — on completion
- Commissioning records — on completion
Services Delivered on This Project
BUILDING SERVICES & HVAC DESIGN
Full HVAC design including AHU, ASHP, ductwork and mechanical systems to nuclear standards.
EC&I DESIGN
Control panel design, instrumentation, and EC authoring across all five programme scopes.
INSTALLATION & COMMISSIONING
Plant installation and C&I commissioning in a live nuclear environment, with full documentation.