• PROJECT • URENCO CAPENHURST, CHESHIRE
URENCO
HVAC Installation, EC&I & Controls Commissioning
Full design, supply, installation and commissioning of HVAC and controls systems at a live uranium enrichment facility. Delivered to nuclear compliance standards with full documentation package.
SITE
URENCO Capenhurst
LOCATION
Capenhurst, Cheshire
CLIENT
URENCO
SCOPE
HVAC · EC&I · Controls · BMS
COMPLETED
2026
Energy Consultancy delivered a complete nuclear HVAC installation at URENCO’s Capenhurst uranium enrichment facility. A full design, supply, installation, and commissioning package covering air handling, mechanical services, and a comprehensive EC&I and controls suite. Working on a live nuclear licensed site under heightened security clearance requirements, the project demanded the same exacting documentation and compliance standards applied across the UK’s operating nuclear fleet.
Delivered in 2026 alongside multiple concurrent contractors, the scope encompassed two Air Handling Units, four Air Source Heat Pumps, full ductwork design and installation, a BMS-integrated controls system, and a complete Chilled Water System, all brought together under a single coordinated commissioning programme.
STANDARDS APPLIED
QUALITY
URENCO Capenhurst
DOCUMENTATION
ITP · QP · LTRP · RAMS
TESTING
Site Acceptance Test
SECURITY
SC Clearance required
DUCTWORK
DW144 standard
The Challenge
Delivering a complex, multi-system HVAC and controls installation within a nuclear licensed facility brings demands that go well beyond a standard mechanical and electrical project. At URENCO Capenhurst, these included:
SC clearance requirements
All Energy Consultancy personnel required Security Check clearance before accessing the facility. This added a significant pre-mobilisation step and shaped how the team was structured and deployed throughout the programme.
Live nuclear licensed site
Although the specific building was not yet operational, the wider Capenhurst facility remained live. All works were subject to URENCO’s nuclear site requirements, with no compromise to safety or documentation standards.
Multi-contractor coordination
Energy Consultancy worked alongside multiple other specialist contractors simultaneously requiring close coordination to ensure systems were compatible, interfaces were managed, and the overall commissioning programme held together.
System complexity
The integrated nature of the scope (AHUs, ASHPs, ductwork, CWS, controls, and BMS) meant that every element had to be designed, specified, installed, and commissioned as part of a single coherent system, with every component verified to communicate correctly with the central BMS.
Documentation to nuclear standards
Every aspect of the works, down to individual cables and terminals, required full documentation. RAMS, ITPs, Quality Plans, Cable Schedules, and a complete Lifetime Record Pack were produced throughout the project.
Our Approach
Delivering a complex, multi-system HVAC and controls installation within a nuclear licensed facility brings demands that go well beyond a standard mechanical and electrical project. At URENCO Capenhurst, these included:
Energy Consultancy led the detailed design process from concept, establishing what plant and instrumentation was required to meet the facility’s design requirements. This covered the selection and specification of Air Handling Units, Air Source Heat Pumps, control panels, louvres, ductwork, and associated instrumentation — with all specifications reviewed and aligned with both the design intent and URENCO’s specific requirements. Where supplier input required amendments to the specification or design, these were managed and incorporated as part of a coordinated design submission.
Equipment and materials were procured to specification, with sourcing managed to ensure compliance with the project’s quality requirements. Full procurement records were maintained as part of the overall documentation package.
The mechanical installation scope covered two Air Handling Units and four Air Source Heat Pumps, together with a full DW144-standard ductwork installation including supply and extract diffusers and attenuators, ductwork insulation, balancing, cleaning, and testing. Transition pieces were manufactured and installed to suit the specific geometry of the building, and six louvres were supplied and installed as part of the external envelope integration.
Alongside the mechanical works, Energy Consultancy designed, supplied, engineered, installed, and commissioned a complete EC&I package for both the HVAC system and the Chilled Water System. This included fully automated controls for both systems, with HVAC and CWS controls linked to a central BMS control panel to enable safe, automated operation of the building services as an integrated whole.
The CWS automated controls included sequencer functionality, ensuring the system operated safely and efficiently under varying load conditions.
Full commissioning of all systems was carried out prior to handover. Every piece of instrumentation — from the AHUs and ASHPs to individual temperature sensors, pressure switches, and airflow devices — was tested and commissioned to confirm correct operation and successful integration with the BMS. Commissioning verified that the BMS was able to correctly read all inputs, initiate appropriate responses such as output adjustments and emergency alarms, and control the building services system safely and automatically under all operating conditions.
The programme concluded with a Site Acceptance Test, formally closing out commissioning and demonstrating that the complete system — mechanical, electrical, and controls — functioned correctly as a unified installation.
Outcomes & Deliverables
Energy Consultancy delivered the full scope to nuclear compliance standards, handing over a complete, operational building services system alongside a comprehensive documentation package. URENCO received:
- 2× Air Handling Units — installed & commissioned
- Full DW144 ductwork installation
- EC&I package — HVAC & CWS
- 6× louvres — supplied & installed
- Risk & Method Statements (RAMS)
- Quality Plan (QP)
- CAD drawings
- Full Design Submission
- 4× Air Source Heat Pumps & controllers
- Chilled Water System — designed & commissioned
- BMS-integrated controls system
- Control panel design & documentation
- Inspection & Test Plans (ITP)
- Lifetime Record Pack (LTRP)
- Cable Schedules
- Site Acceptance Test records
Delivered in 2026 on a live nuclear licensed site under SC clearance, working concurrently with multiple specialist contractors, the project demonstrates Energy Consultancy’s capability to design, install, and commission highly integrated building services systems within the most demanding nuclear environments — from initial concept through to full commissioning sign-off.
What the Client Said
“Energy Consultancy delivered a complex, multi-system installation at Capenhurst to a consistently high standard. Their documentation was thorough, their team coordinated well within a busy multi-contractor environment, and they maintained the compliance and safety standards required on a nuclear licensed site throughout.”
URENCO Capenhurst
Services Delivered on This Project
BUILDING SERVICES & HVAC DESIGN
AHU design, ductwork, mechanical systems — designed and delivered to nuclear standards.
EC&I DESIGN
Electrical, controls and instrumentation design for nuclear and regulated environments.
INSTALLATION & COMMISSIONING
Full plant installation and C&I commissioning, with complete documentation throughout.