Ideal’s research and development team will be moved into the new centre over the next few months
Ideal Heating’s Technology Centre in Hull(Image: HBD)
Work has officially been completed on a £19.2m technology centre which is poised to pioneer new low carbon heating technologies. HBC Construction Limited (HBC) has now finished work and handed over Ideal Heating’s brand-new UK Technology Centre in Hull.
The state-of-the-art facility is designed to drive innovation and research and development excellence in the heating sector. Originally appointed in 2023 to deliver the shell and core, HBC was later commissioned to manage the fit-out and mechanical and electrical works, creating a fully operational environment ready for cutting-edge research.
Based at Ideal Heating’s headquarters on National Avenue in Hull, the striking 38,000 sqft building will bring together members of Ideal’s research and development team which was previously spread across multiple facilities on the site. Ideal Heating will move the team members into the new facility in a phased programme over the next few months, after the internal furnishing and fit-outs are completed.
The centre is kitted out with state-of-the-art R&D testing facilities as well as office, training and workshop space, allowing Ideal Heating to ramp up product development and innovation. The two-storey steel-frame building has also been designed with sustainability in mind, with solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, mechanical heat recovery systems, LED lighting and controls.
Helen Villamuera, engineering director at Ideal Heating, added: “Building a state-of-the-art technology centre is not a straightforward project, but right from the tender process, the team at HBC understood the challenge ahead of us and worked alongside us to deliver this amazing landmark on National Avenue. A true collaboration with a great team of people, feeling like we had one common project goal together.
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“This new facility will further cement Ideal Heating’s role in shaping the future of sustainable heating technologies in the UK.”
Lee Powell, managing director of HBC, said: “We are proud to have delivered a high-quality facility that meets Ideal Heating’s ambitions. It’s been a collaborative effort from start to finish, ensuring the new centre not only fulfils their needs but supports their future growth too. The project joins our large portfolio of research and development projects delivered across Yorkshire and the Humber.”
The project has been backed by more than £2m in seed capital funding from Humber Freeport, having been singled out as a vital initiative to help decarbonise industry across the Humber region. At the end of last year the MP for Hull North and Cottingham, Dame Diana Johnson, visited the site as construction entered the final stages.
At the time, Dame Diana said: “Ideal is one of Hull’s great business success stories, with a long and proud history of innovation and employment in the city. This R&D centre will not only safeguard jobs in Hull, it will create new opportunities and skills well into the future, and support the transition to clean energy.”
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