Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
Penderyn Distillery, the pioneer of the modern Welsh whisky revival, has expanded from its original Brecon Beacons home to three sites across Wales. Its flagship is the £15 million Swansea Copperworks Distillery, opened in 2023. This project transformed the historic Powerhouse into a modern distillery and tasting room, restored the iconic clock tower, and added a contemporary Visitor Centre, exhibition space, and shop.
To support the long-term operation of the M&E systems across the restored and new-build elements, Dewick & Associates worked with RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services to deliver the Mechanical & Electrical O&M Manuals and As Fitted Drawings.
Our focus was on producing a coordinated handover deliverable for a project that combines listed heritage fabric with modern building services, helping the distillery operations team support continuous production at a site capable of producing up to 400,000 litres annually.
By Liana Ossai
Credit: Penderyn Distillery, Landore by Chris Allen, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services is a UK building services and maintenance company with around 35 years of experience delivering bespoke, flexible mechanical and electrical solutions across a range of project types. For the Penderyn Swansea Copperworks Distillery, RDM was responsible for the full M&E installation across the restored Grade II listed Powerhouse and the new-build Visitor Centre and shop.
The mechanical scope covered sewer drainage, hot and cold water systems and a low-pressure hot water heating system powered by a gas-fired condensing boiler, including radiators, trench heaters, overdoor heaters and an air handling unit within the existing buildings, plus a VRF air conditioning system for the Visitor Centre and shop.
The electrical scope included process and general power, EV charging, comprehensive lighting and emergency lighting, and advanced communications and security systems. With the project sitting on a heritage-restoration footprint and supporting an award-winning whisky producer, RDM required a documentation partner who could handle that complexity in a single, coherent deliverable.
Documenting M&E services in a heritage-restoration setting brings particular challenges. The Hafod Morfa Copperworks is a Grade II listed site of national significance, with restoration funded in part through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Welsh Government, which means the documentation needs to sit alongside listed building consents and conservation expectations as well as standard building services records.
The installation itself blends modern services such as VRF air conditioning, gas-fired condensing boilers and EV charging with services routed through restored fabric, and includes specialist provisions such as smoke ventilation. The project’s success and subsequent recognition with the RICS Wales Heritage Award meant the handover documentation needed to match the standard of the restoration itself, both in technical accuracy and in its long-term usability.
Dewick & Associates worked closely with RDM Electrical & Mechanical Services to author a combined Mechanical & Electrical O&M Manual. Focused on operational utility, the documentation provides the distillery’s facilities team with a structured guide to all critical building services, including:
Mechanical Systems: LPHW heating, gas-fired condensing boilers, VRF air conditioning, air handling units (AHU), sewer drainage, and domestic water services.
Electrical Infrastructure: LV power distribution, EV charging stations, specialized lighting, communications, and security systems.
Each section was supported by clear operating instructions and preventative maintenance guidance, with the As Fitted Drawings produced as a clean digital record of the installation as built. The combined deliverable gives the distillery and its maintenance providers a reliable reference point for systems supporting continuous production.
The project resulted in a complete, well-structured M&E documentation package supporting the long-term operation of the award-winning Penderyn Swansea Copperworks. By providing a definitive reference for building services across both the heritage fabric and new-build areas, our manuals help the operations team maintain the precise environmental conditions required for premium whisky production. This project was notably recognised with the Wales Heritage Award at the 2024 RICS Awards.
The content in this case study has been informed by project documentation and client communication provided to Dewick & Associates during and following the completion of the project. Where external sources have contributed to our understanding of relevant standards or industry practice, these are listed below.
Penderyn Distillery, Landore by Chris Allen, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Note: Some content in this case study draws on a combination of sources rather than direct quotation. Where this is the case, contributing sources are acknowledged above rather than cited inline.
Based on marked up drawings, to reflect the installed equipment configuration, provision of As Installed / As Built / As Fitted Drawings in AutoCAD and PDF format by in house skilled drafters.
Technical authoring of D&A format O&M Manuals enabling efficient plant operation and effective maintenance for equipment longevity, including:
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