NHS Tayside Energy Infrastructure Upgrade

The major energy upgrades at Ninewells Hospital required 17,233 light fittings to be replaced with high efficiency LED units, which is the largest lighting upgrade to take place in a fully-operational hospital. We upgraded 4,080 light fittings and made insulation improvements at Perth Royal Infirmary, and upgraded 382 light fittings at Stracathro Hospital.

The energy generation solution includes a 4MWe CHP engine, a 9MW dual fuel combined waste heat recovery/fired boiler, an 8MW dual fuel packaged steam boiler, three 500kWe high efficiency chillers, and upgrades to the condensate system. The waste heat from the CHP engine will preheat low temperature hot water and domestic hot water plate exchangers in 5 plantrooms, providing space heating and domestic hot water to a number of areas. Additionally, we have removed the existing hotwells and boiler feedwater pumps on the ground floor of the boiler house and replaced them with two new hotwells and associated feedwater pumps on the first floor. We replaced the BMS control system with modern devices and are carrying out ongoing works to optimise the performance.

We visited the Jenbacher factory in Innsbruck, Austria, to give the clients’ consultants the opportunity to witness first hand that the CHP engine could provide the 4MW electrical generation and 90˚C recoverable heat requirements. We were also given a tour of the factory to see the production and manufacturing process, highlighting the quality and excellence required from our suppliers and subcontractors.

We created three temporary chimneys while upgrades to the flue took place. The refurbishment included removing six existing flues and installing five new internal flues into the existing 56m tall concrete windshield, upgrading the earthing system including the lightning protection system, and repainting the smoke band. Due to space restrictions, the mobile crane we used needed to be situated in the laundry yard which serves the whole of NHS Tayside. We delivered presentations to brief NHS Tayside staff about the re-organising of the laundry yard, including the building of a temporary platform for the loading bay which allowed the laundry to remain operational.

Three local engineers operate and maintain the plant equipment, including over 1km of steam pipework running beneath the main corridor of Ninewells Hospital. The team are supported by Performance Engineers, BMS Engineers, and Business Support from our Blackburn headquarters and are responsible for preparing the data submission for CHPQA compliance, which allows savings to be made on the gas used by the CHP and boilers.

Our Contracts Manager attends regular operational meetings to review the performance of the equipment and works with the Health Board to ensure optimum operation and savings. We have successfully completed the first year of operational services whereby the performance exceeded annual targets and generated significant energy and carbon savings.