Dalkia has clinched a £33m deal to deliver a flagship low-carbon energy centre at the British Museum as part of its sweeping masterplan overhaul.

The firm will act as principal contractor on the Energy Centre Programme, overseeing civils, architectural fit-out and a full upgrade of the museum’s ageing infrastructure across the Bloomsbury estate.

The project forms a critical strand of the British Museum’s long-term redevelopment, aimed at reshaping the historic institution for the 21st century while slashing carbon emissions and improving resilience.

Working alongside Sir Robert McAlpine, Dalkia will also deliver the full MEP package for the base build of the new facility.

At the heart of the scheme is a move away from fossil fuels. The museum’s existing gas-fired boiler plant will be ripped out and replaced with a 5.1MW air-source heat pump, a 7MW water-source heat pump and a 900kW electrical boiler for resilient back-up.

The overhaul is expected to cut carbon emissions by around 1,700 tonnes a year.

Major electrical upgrades will also be carried out, including a new high-voltage ring main, low-temperature hot water primary services, sub-mains rewiring and relocation of the HV intake substation.

Colin Brunton, regional managing director at Dalkia, said: “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.”