20MW Data Centre - North Acton
Client: Data Centre Delivery and IT Service Management Company
Services: CxA (Commissioning Agent)
Size: Floor area of about 18,200 m²
IT load of 20MW (across 2 Phases)
This project is a strategically planned 1.2-acre development featuring a six-storey data centre building alongside a four-storey generator building, executed in two phases. Phase 1 includes four Data Modules, each supporting a 2MW IT load, while Phase 2 expands the facility with six additional Data Modules of the same capacity. The project is designed to meet high-performance requirements for data centre operations, ensuring reliability and efficiency.
Appointed by our client as the Commissioning (Cx) Agent, our primary responsibility was to oversee and facilitate the commissioning process across multiple levels. Our focus was to review activities at Cx Levels 1 to 3 while taking direct management responsibility for Levels 4 and 5. We aimed to mitigate risks and ensure best practices were followed to guarantee project success.
Key Responsibilities
Our role encompassed a wide range of commissioning activities, including:
Development of Commissioning (Cx) Plan to establish clear commissioning objectives and deliverables.
Creation of Cx Programme for Levels 4 and 5, ensuring structured execution and adherence to project timelines.
Designing test scripts for Functional Performance Testing (FPT) at Level 4 and Integrated Systems Testing (IST) at Level 5, ensuring robust validation of systems.
Reviewing Basis of Design (BoD), technical specifications, and design drawings to assess commissionability and maintainability while finalising commissioning criteria.
Assessing Cx plans, strategies, and programmes submitted by the GC and CxM, ensuring they align with best practices.
Examining method statements and test scripts for Cx Levels 1 to 3 submitted by GC, MEP contractors, and OFCI vendors to guarantee compliance.
Sample witnessing of Cx Level 1 to 3 activities for all MEP systems, validating design parameters.
Reviewing Cx Levels 1 to 3 test results, documenting observations and ensuring all issues were addressed.
Full witnessing and authorisation of Cx Levels 4 and 5 activities for all MEP systems, ensuring systematic validation.
Compiling the Final Cx Report upon successful completion of all commissioning levels, detailing resolutions to all identified issues and observations.
Added Value
Our engagement from the early design stages played a crucial role in shaping an effective commissioning strategy. The key contributions included:
Initiating early-stage Cx reviews during the design phase to pre-emptively address potential commissioning challenges.
Collaborating proactively with the General Contractor (GC) and Commissioning Manager (CxM) to establish a well-structured Cx programme aligned with the Master Construction Programme.
Facilitating early submission of Cx Level 4 and 5 documentation for Client review, ensuring alignment with project expectations and compliance requirements.
Conducting thorough evaluations of test documentation submitted by the GC, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) contractors, and Owner-Furnished, Contractor-Installed (OFCI) vendors to verify compliance with specifications and support timely project completion.
