British Museum ditching its gas boilers in move to low-carbon heat pumps

"The Museum's existing gas-fired boiler plant will be replaced with a low-carbon system comprising a 5.1MW air-source heat pump, a 7MW water-source heat pump, and a 900kW electric boiler for backup. Together, these upgrades are expected to cut carbon emissions by around 1,700 tonnes each year, marking a major step forward in the Museum's decarbonisation journey."

"Modernising our energy infrastructure is essential to transforming the Museum, reducing our environmental impact and ensuring we can continue to care for the collection for generations to come. Dalkia's expertise in delivering complex, low‑carbon energy solutions gives us confidence that this programme will strengthen the resilience and sustainability of our estate for decades ahead."

"The programme also includes extensive electrical upgrades, including a new high-voltage ring main, low-temperature hot water primary services, rewiring of sub-mains and the relocation of the HV intake substation - strengthening resilience across the entire Museum estate."

The British Museum is undertaking a major energy infrastructure overhaul to reduce its environmental impact. Dalkia, as Principal Contractor, will oversee comprehensive works including civil engineering, architectural modifications, and infrastructure modernization. The existing gas-fired boiler system will be replaced with a low-carbon energy system featuring a 5.1MW air-source heat pump, a 7MW water-source heat pump, and a 900kW electric boiler for backup. This transformation is projected to cut carbon emissions by approximately 1,700 tonnes annually. The new Energy Centre will be constructed in the northeastern corner of the museum estate. Additional upgrades include extensive electrical enhancements such as a new high-voltage ring main, low-temperature hot water services, sub-mains rewiring, and HV intake substation relocation to strengthen resilience across the entire estate.

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