Unilever Research & Development, Wirral — AHU Upgrades
Working at Unilever’s Research and Development facility in Wirral, Merseyside, our team delivered a comprehensive upgrade programme across multiple Air Handling Units — a complex, high-value project worth £726,480 carried out within a live, business-critical environment.
Each AHU was individually designed and upgraded to incorporate new EC supply and extract fans, DX coils, frost coils, and pre-heating coils, alongside full electrical and Building Management System works. With the AHUs serving critical areas throughout the building, the overriding challenge was to limit downtime to a strict two-day window per unit — requiring precise planning, coordination, and execution at every stage.
Each AHU was individually designed with CAD drawings, schematics, and full O&M manuals provided in hard copy and electronic format upon completion
Full mains electrical works including a new MCB board, BMS control wiring configured to client requirements, and a two-day contract crane hire to lift all equipment onto the roof
Critical systems upgraded without disrupting live operations
Precision planning inside one of the UK’s leading R&D facilities
Delivering a project of this scale and complexity inside an active research and development facility demanded more than technical expertise — it required meticulous programme management and a team experienced in working to tight operational constraints. Each air handling unit was taken offline only when new components were ready to install, with fitting, testing and commissioning completed within two days before systems were returned to service. The result is a fully upgraded, energy-efficient air handling infrastructure that supports Unilever’s facility for years to come.
