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Three Air Source Heat Pumps weighing approximately 20 tonnes were lifted onto the roof of a central Cambridge building by a giant crane on Sunday night at a crucial point of ����Ӱҵ College’s £10million decarbonisation project.

Two large units which each have an operating weight of 7000kg, around the weight of an African elephant, and a third, smaller unit were lifted onto the Murray Easton Building, an art deco building overlooking Market Square.

A timelapse of the cranes lifting the ASHPs onto the roof

The arrival of the Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) is a key moment in a project which has long been in the planning and is scheduled to be completed by summer 2026. 

By undertaking an exciting carbon reduction project, Caius is replacing gas-fired space and water heating with the ASHP system at the College’s Grade I-listed Old Courts site on Trinity Street. The complex project is supported by a Government grant administered by Salix.

Dr Jim Hambleton, a ����Ӱҵ College Fellow and Chair of the Decarbonisation Implementation Committee, said: “The placing of these huge Air Source Heat Pumps was an exhilarating moment in the long history of the College. While there is much yet to be done, this is a key landmark which we should celebrate.

“This project has been a partnership between staff, academics and external consultants, all experts in their fields, and I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone for this major step.”

David Hills, Director of architects rhp, said: “It is a privilege to work with a client so committed to carbon saving, alongside my colleagues at rhp, technical consultants Ridge, structural engineers AFP, Cocksedge’s construction team and many others. It is not often we get to combine our interests in state of the art sustainable technology and Grade I and II Listed Buildings to such a positive purpose.”

Adrian Bishop, of lead contractors Cocksedge, said: “This is a highly complex project with many elements to coordinate. Successfully lifting the Air Source Heat Pumps marks a major milestone, and our priority remains delivering this important scheme for the College.”