Strategic Cooling System Upgrade & Energy Optimisation

Two secondary manufacturing sites in Ireland were operating high-energy chilled water systems, consuming over 5GWh annually. Ageing infrastructure and the use of refrigerant posed compliance risks and potential production disruption. Projective was engaged to deliver a compliant, efficient and resilient solution.

Operational Challenges:

• High energy overheads and carbon footprint
• Risk exposure from legacy cooling assets
• Fragmented system architecture limiting performance
• Imminent regulatory non-compliance

Using our Process Energy model, we mapped system dependencies and identified opportunities for consolidation and intelligent control. This enabled a reduction in asset replacement CAPEX and improved system resilience.

Key Engineering Interventions:

• Consolidation of DX units into centralised chilled water systems
• Intelligent chiller sequencing and dynamic set-point control
• Constant pressure, variable volume pump configuration
• Enhanced load control across secondary distribution

Projective delivered full design, project management and commissioning of the chilled water system upgrades. The result was a significant reduction in energy use and carbon emissions, alongside improved system resilience.

The project achieved an annual energy saving of €150,600, equating to 1,700MWh, enough to power over 400 homes. Electrical consumption across the HVAC infrastructure dropped by 33%, easing pressure on site systems and lowering operational costs.

In parallel, the client achieved a reduction of 934 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, supporting their corporate sustainability targets. These outcomes represent a clear return on investment, with rapid payback and long-term operational benefits.

This project reflects Projective’s ability to deliver intelligent, future-ready engineering solutions that align with strategic business goals. Projective’s approach combined deep technical insight with agile thinking to help a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer navigate regulatory change and optimise performance.

By consolidating systems and implementing intelligent control, Projective future-proofed operations against environmental and compliance risks. The upgraded infrastructure is now more robust, efficient and aligned with long-term operational strategy.