Case study · Completed January 2026

Remote cooling tower rebuild: full refurbishment back to peak airflow

A cooling tower at a remote site needed a full rebuild. We refurbished it from the fan down to the fill, designed a new top grate, and airflow testing confirmed it was back to peak operation.

Cooling tower rebuild: induced draft cooling towers on a raised steel platform at a remote site

The challenge

The tower was in poor condition. The fan hub and blade roots were heavily corroded, and the fill, drift eliminators and spray nozzles were due for replacement.

Corroded fan hub and blade roots inside a cooling tower before refurbishment — Corroded fan hub and blade roots before the rebuild

The site is remote, and the tower sits on a raised platform, and existing structures on either side meant there was no way to work from or lift past the sides of the tower. The usual methods for getting people, tools and heavy components up to the tower and back down again would not work here.

Cooling tower on a raised platform surrounded by steel structures, pipework and stairs — The tower on its raised platform, boxed in by existing structures

The cooling tower rebuild

We planned the job around access first. Our team developed new methods to reach the tower and its components safely, and to move old parts out and new parts in without disturbing the surrounding structures.

With access sorted, we completed a full refurbishment:

Replaced the fill media, drift eliminators and spray nozzles.
Cleaned the tower interior.
Fitted new fan blades and a new fan hub.
Installed a new motor and drive belts.
Designed a new grate to sit on top of the tower.

View from the cooling tower platform over the surrounding site and hills — Working at height on the tower platform

The result

Airflow testing after the rebuild showed the tower had returned to peak operation.
Corroded fan components, worn fill, drift eliminators and nozzles all replaced.
A new top grate designed to suit the tower.
Access and lifting methods that can be reused for future maintenance on the same tower.

At a glance

Scope

1 cooling tower, full refurbishment

Location

Remote site, raised platform

Works

Fill, drift eliminators, nozzles, fan, motor, belts, top grate

Testing

Airflow testing, back to peak operation

Completed

January 2026

Services used
Cooling tower servicing and refurbishment
Industries we work in