Client and location

The client is a confidential operator in the financial sector of a mission‑critical facility located in Hampshire. This project formed part of a major expansion to increase the site’s cooling capacity and resilience.

Client requirement

As part of a significant upgrade to their cooling infrastructure, the client required the appointment of an independent commissioning and validation engineer to provide unbiased oversight of the project. The upgrade centred on constructing a new energy centre and implementing a new centralised chilled water system designed to deliver critical cooling capacity, resilience, redundancy, and enhanced monitoring. Because the project involved enabling works within a live operational facility, the client needed a trusted specialist to verify that all systems were tested rigorously, installed correctly, and integrated safely without compromising ongoing operations.

What we did

Operational Intelligence, now part of MiCiM, was appointed as the client’s validation engineer, taking responsibility for oversight at every major stage of the project. OI monitored the commissioning and testing process from factory testing through to on site validation, acting as the independent authority confirming that the designed performance levels had been achieved. Only the capital plant required for Day 1 load was installed initially, with secondary pumps, pipework, and monitoring systems prepared to final design specifications.

Early in the project, OI developed an Authority to Proceed (ATP) document that clearly defined the responsibilities of the consultant, contractor, and validation engineer. This ATP was included in the tender package, and contractors demonstrated strong understanding of the process during interviews. The ATP was then used as a structured tool to track and monitor mechanical and electrical progress throughout construction.

From a risk perspective, OI reviewed all works for potential impact on the live facility and prepared thumbnail diagrams to explain testing methodologies to stakeholders. OI also collaborated with the contractor to define detailed test scopes, ensured mitigation measures were in place, reviewed loadbank arrangements for Levels 3, 4, and 5 testing, and prepared Level 5 Integrated Systems Testing (IST) documents where required.
OI interfaced regularly with the client, designer, main contractor, commissioning manager, subcontractors, and vendors, maintaining alignment through frequent meetings and calls. Because chilled water cooling was new to the client’s operations team, OI provided additional support on risks such as water quality, hydraulic isolation, restart logic, supply temperature control, free cooling, and adiabatic operation.

End result

OI concluded each phase of this project by delivering a comprehensive close out report confirming that all systems met the tender design requirements and agreed client modifications. The client continued to trust OI in this role, having appointed the team for several previous upgrade projects due to their strong focus on risk management in live operational environments.