Case Study

HVAC Services for FSI Phases 1 and 2 – Nutricia, Liverpool

Overview

Client: Nutricia, Liverpool

Industry: Food Manufacturing

Presence: Design, supply, installation, and commissioning of complete HVAC systems across High Care (HC), Medium Care (MC), and Civil areas

Project Overview: Penmann Climatic Systems Ltd delivered the HVAC systems for Phases 1 and 2 of Nutricia’s FSI project in Liverpool, supporting the plant’s expansion with tightly managed temperature, humidity, and pressurisation. The work followed the client’s drawings and Danone’s technical specification, covering fresh air generation, heat recovery, filtration, air distribution, and local control across civil, medium care, and high care areas.

Project Value Range: £500,000-£650,000

Penmann Climatic Systems Ltd was appointed to deliver the HVAC systems for Phases 1 and 2 of the FSI project at Nutricia’s Liverpool site. The project formed part of an expansion of production and ancillary facilities at the plant, requiring highly controlled temperature, humidity, and pressurisation regimes in line with Danone’s technical standards. The design and installation were based on drawings and design parameters provided by the client and consultants, ensuring full compliance with Danone Technical Specification DBN-SP-UTI-001 (HVAC SN Factories, Version 5).

 

Penmann’s scope covered all civil, medium care, and high care areas, from fresh air generation and heat recovery through to air distribution, filtration, and local control.

Design Objectives

The HVAC systems were designed to:

  • Provide precise temperature and humidity control across all zones.
  • Maintain positive pressurisation from High Care through to civil areas.
  • Ensure compliance with both building regulations and Danone factory standards.
  • Integrate with Nutricia’s existing site-wide Trend BMS for centralised monitoring and control.
  • Deliver energy efficiency through heat recovery and optimised air distribution.

Design calculations were based on summer ambient conditions of 26°C dry bulb / 18°C wet bulb and a winter design temperature of -4°C.

System Overview

The complete HVAC solution comprised two main air handling systems and local comfort cooling units, supported by a gas-fired boiler and integrated controls.

Civil Areas Civil areas were served by AHU01, located within a rooftop plant room. The system provided fresh air ventilation through ISO 16890 ePM1 60% (F7) filtration, plate-type heat recovery, and LTHW heating coils. A plug-type direct drive centrifugal fan provided supply air, while a similar fan managed return air to the heat recovery box. Air was distributed via galvanised spiral ductwork through ceiling grilles. Extracting air from kitchen and servery areas was managed by stainless steel canopies with grease filters, linked to bifurcated fans exhausting to the atmosphere.

Medium Care Areas AHU02 supplied both the medium care and high care changing areas and link corridors. It incorporated a mixing box for energy efficiency, dual-stage filtration (G4/F7), run-around coil heat recovery, and LTHW heating. Medium Care areas were maintained at 21–23°C, positively pressurised relative to civil zones, with air distributed through straight-seamed galvanised ductwork and ceiling grilles.

High Care Areas High Care areas were also served by AHU02, upgraded with final-stage H13 HEPA filtration and separate return air filtration at F7 grade. The air handling unit could operate in full recirculation or exhaust modes as required. Air distribution in the High Care areas was via fabric air socks in HC2 zones and ceiling diffusers in HC1 zones, with return air through punched stainless-steel grilles and ductwork in 304-grade stainless steel for hygiene and durability. These spaces were positively pressurised relative to adjacent areas to prevent contamination ingress.

Heating and Cooling

  • Cooling: Local ceiling cassette systems provided temperature control in designated rooms, each connected to outdoor DX heat pump condensing units operating on R32 refrigerant.
  • Heating: Supplementary heating was provided via LTHW coils within AHU01 and AHU02, fed by a 180kW gas-fired boiler.
  • Additional heating: Electric heaters were installed in the ground floor locker rooms, with three gas-fired heaters installed in the Warehouse and Dock area during Phase 2.

The inclusion of heat recovery modules and run-around coils ensured efficient operation and reduced energy consumption.

Control and Commissioning

All fresh air systems were integrated into Nutricia’s Trend Building Management System (BMS), providing site-wide control and monitoring via the internal network. Local DX cassette units were fitted with individual controls for room-level temperature adjustment.

Following installation, Penmann carried out full system commissioning and testing to verify temperature control, pressurisation, and filtration performance.

Project Outcome

The completed HVAC installation achieved strict compliance with Danone’s technical standards while providing an energy-efficient and maintainable solution. The new systems deliver precise environmental control across all areas, with filtration and pressurisation levels appropriate to each cleanliness class.

The successful completion of Phases 1 and 2 reinforces Penmann’s reputation for delivering high-performance HVAC systems within demanding food manufacturing environments, where reliability, hygiene, and regulatory compliance are essential.