Dalkia to deliver new sustainable Energy Centre at British Museum
Dalkia is proud to announce its appointment by the British Museum to deliver the Energy Centre Programme, a critical component of the Museum’s wider Masterplan. As one of the most significant cultural redevelopment initiatives underway globally, the Masterplan will reshape the British Museum for the 21st century. The Energy Centre will be transformative in phasing out fossil fuels and improving the efficiency and resilience of its energy infrastructure.
As Principal Contractor, Dalkia will oversee all works within the Museum estate, including civil engineering, architectural fit‑outs and a complete overhaul of the existing infrastructure. This modernisation will replace ageing systems with a highly efficient energy solution. Alongside this, Dalkia will deliver the full MEP package for the base build of the Energy Centre, supporting Sir Robert McAlpine, providing a facility designed to secure resilient, low‑carbon energy provision for decades to come.
Sustainability is a central to the programme. The scheme will replace the Museum’s gas‑fired boiler plant with a state‑of‑the‑art system combining a 5.1MW air‑source heat pump, a 7MW water‑source heat pump and a 900kW electrical boiler providing resilient backup. These upgrades are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1,700 tonnes annually, significantly advancing the Museum’s decarbonisation goals. The programme also includes major 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 HV intake substation to strengthen resilience and improve efficiency across the estate.
Colin Brunton, Regional Managing Director at Dalkia, commented: “We are thrilled to lead this pivotal project at the British Museum. We are proud to deliver cutting‑edge infrastructure upgrades that not only align with the Museum’s sustainability objectives but also preserve its operational integrity throughout the works. Our experience in delivering large‑scale energy projects in complex environments will ensure the success of this transformative initiative.”
Judith McNicol, Managing Director, British Museum said: “We are delighted to be working with Dalkia on this vital phase of our Masterplan. 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 Energy Centre Programme represents a landmark investment in the future of the British Museum, combining modern energy technologies with a commitment to environmental responsibility. It reinforces Dalkia’s position as a leader in delivering innovative, low‑carbon infrastructure solutions that support the UK’s transition to a greener, more resilient future.
About EDF
EDF is driving the transition towards An Electric Britain – a secure, affordable, low-carbon future for everyone. As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, we are investing more than £100 million weekly in Britain’s electricity infrastructure. We supply millions of customers with electricity and help homes and businesses switch to electricity for heating, transport and industrial processes.
We operate five nuclear power stations and more than 35 onshore wind farms and three offshore wind farms. Since 2009, EDF has invested almost £9 billion in the nuclear fleet to improve reliability and extend station lifetimes. The five generating stations currently supply about 12% of the UK’s electricity demand.
EDF is building the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C. We are a minority investor (12.5%) in and major supplier to a replica plant at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes. EDF Group companies Framatome and Arabelle Solutions have a presence in the UK and manufacture critical equipment such as reactor pressure vessels and turbines.
EDF is enabling its 5 million customers, both in business and at home, to choose electric solutions that save cash and carbon, whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing solar panels or a heat pump. In 2025, EDF’s Customers business was ranked as one of the Sunday Times’s Best Place to Work.
It is also one of the UK’s leading developers of renewable energy through EDF power solutions UK and Ireland. We have more than 2GW of renewable generation in operation and over 10GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage.
We are one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, one of the UK and Ireland’s largest technical service providers.