WA Mining Site: Five 150 kW Switchroom Air Conditioning Upgrade

A single R22 system failure in either of two critical switchrooms risked taking sections of a WA mining processing plant offline. Five APAC package units across both rooms had been running for 13 years on a refrigerant now phased out under Australian regulations. Ageing units cannot be recharged with new refrigerant, and every hour of continued operation carries a compliance and continuity liability. The upgrade was a risk-management decision, not a discretionary one.

The plant had to remain live throughout. Perth Air & Power Solutions completed a full switchroom air conditioning upgrade with five 150 kW units replaced, stainless steel ductwork installed, and Schneider BMS fully integrated across eight weeks without interrupting production.

Project Scope

Perth Air & Power Solutions managed the full scope, from audit and design through to commissioning and handover documentation.

• Temporary cooling: Four 50 kW package units were installed across both switchrooms before any existing equipment was touched, with conditioning maintained throughout.
• Staged decommissioning and replacement: Existing APAC units were removed and replaced two at a time, keeping both rooms conditioned at every point in the program.
• Ductwork: Redundant sheet metal ductwork was stripped out and replaced with new stainless steel ductwork with 100 mm insulation installed to specification.
• BMS integration: Schneider BMS control wiring was run to each new APAC unit, with dampers and differential pressure switches integrated and galvanised covers fitted over all external control devices. Our commercial electrical licensing covered the full controls scope in-house.
• Pressurisation: Two pressurisation units with differential pressure switches were commissioned.
• Documentation: Full commissioning report, delap report, and as-built mechanical and BMS electrical drawings issued on completion.

The site audit and design drawings were completed and approved by the client before mobilisation.

Planned Before the First Unit Was Touched

At Perth Air & Power Solutions, we don’t mobilise until the plan is sound. The temporary cooling strategy was fully designed before any existing equipment was decommissioned, and that sequencing is what made zero production downtime achievable. Working across live switchrooms with adjacent systems in continuous operation, our team coordinated staged execution to keep both rooms conditioned and the plant running at every point in the eight-week program.

Results

• Uptime: Plant live and production uninterrupted across the full eight-week program.
• Safety: Zero incidents across the duration of the project.
• Compliance: Full R22 decommissioning completed in line with Australian regulations.
• Redundancy: Built-in duty cycle redundancy across the five new units eliminates the single-point-of-failure risk the client originally faced.
• Documentation: Commissioning report, delap report, and as-built drawings issued on completion.

Managing a Similar Upgrade?

Stop managing the risk of ageing switchroom equipment reactively and put a planned replacement program in place. Pre-project planning and staged execution are what allow Perth Air & Power Solutions to deliver complex HVAC upgrades on live mining sites without interrupting production.

Contact us today to discuss your site requirements and put a planned switchroom air conditioning upgrade program in place before ageing equipment forces the decision.