A Global Aerospace and Defence Pioneer UPS Battery Replacement

Project Overview

Adept Power Solutions were appointed to carry out a major UPS battery replacement for a international leader in advanced satellite systems and defence security based in the UK.

The existing batteries across several critical areas had reached the end of their service life. The project covered multiple UPS systems, with the replacement work planned in phases to keep the site’s critical load supported throughout.

Adept worked closely with the site team to plan the programme, coordinate access and organise the movement of the new and existing batteries.

The Challenge

The project involved replacing batteries across several areas of a live operational site, with the UPS systems supporting critical operations.

The main challenge was completing the work within a live operational environment where the UPS systems supported critical loads. Each replacement had to be carefully sequenced with the relevant UPS system safely isolated to keep the critical load supported throughout each replacement. There was also a significant amount of heavy lead-acid battery equipment to remove from site, requiring suitable arrangements for storage, movement and hazardous waste disposal.

The UPS Battery Replacement

Before work began, Adept carried out site surveys to plan the replacement programme and identify a suitable area for staging the new batteries and holding the old units before removal.

The team then worked through the replacement programme in planned phases. Each UPS system was safely isolated before the existing batteries were removed and the new batteries installed.

Adept’s engineers carried out the necessary electrical checks at each stage, including impedance and voltage checks, followed by discharge testing where required. Each system was checked before being returned to service.

Project Implementation

Phase 1: Initial UPS Replacements

The first phase covered two UPS systems. Engineers safely isolated each system, removed the existing batteries and installed the replacements before carrying out the required checks and testing.

Phase 2: Larger UPS Replacement

The larger UPS installation was completed over several days and split into stages. This allowed the team to manage the replacement work in a controlled sequence, completing the necessary checks before each stage was brought back into service.

Additional site protection was put in place during the work, including floor protection and warning signage in areas where batteries were being moved and installed.

Phase 3: Disposal and Handover

Once the battery replacement work was complete, the old batteries were removed from site and sent for appropriate hazardous waste disposal.

Adept then completed the final system checks and project handover, providing the required completion and operating documentation to the global aerospace and defence pioneer.

Project Results

The work was completed within the agreed programme and budget, with no downtime to the client’s critical operations during the replacement programme.

The project covered multiple UPS systems and required careful coordination between Adept’s engineering team and the site team throughout. Despite the scale of the work, each stage was completed and the systems returned to service without disruption to the site’s critical operations.

Client Feedback

“Thank you again for the amazing work you and the team did.”

Senior Project Manager