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24 February 2026

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Contract awarded for British Museum energy centre

1 hour The British Museum has appointed EDF subsidiary Dalkia to build its new energy centre.

Aerial image of the British Museum [© The Trustees of the British Museum]
Aerial image of the British Museum [© The Trustees of the British Museum]

The British Museum energy centre programme, part of a wider modernisation being led by Sir Robert McAlpine, is designed to improving the efficiency and resilience of its energy infrastructure, phasing out its reliance on fossil fuels.

As principal contractor for the energy centre, Dalkia will oversee all works within the museum estate, including civil engineering, architectural fit-outs and a complete overhaul of the existing infrastructure.

Dalkia will deliver the full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) package for the base build of the Energy Centre, supporting Sir Robert McAlpine, providing a facility designed to deliver low-carbon energy.

The scheme will replace the museum’s gas-fired boiler plant with a system combining a 5.1MW air-source heat pump, a 7MW water-source heat pump and a 900kW electrical boiler for back-up. These upgrades are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1,700 tonnes a year.

The programme also includes electrical infrastructure enhancements, including a new high-voltage ring main, low-temperature hot water primary services, rewiring of sub-mains and the relocation of the high voltage (HV) intake substation.

British Museum managing director Judith McNicol said: “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.”

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