Client: TGS Group
Industry: Public sector
Location: Undisclosed
Date: March 2021
Project Details
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent demand for mobile testing facilities placed immense pressure on healthcare services. In collaboration with TGS Group, Merlin Power was tasked with designing and supplying complete electrical power systems for 500 Mobile Testing Units (MTUs), with delivery and installation required within a challenging 3-month timeframe. The project demonstrated Merlin Power’s ability to deliver scalable, high-performance solutions under critical time pressures—supporting the national testing programme at a time of unprecedented demand.
The Fleet of 500 Covid 19 Vans
The Challenge
Designing an electrical power system for the Mobile Testing Units required balancing significant onboard demands with strict vehicle weight limits. Each unit needed to support a wide range of equipment—including refrigeration, welfare appliances, and lighting—while remaining lightweight enough to maintain the required payload. On top of this, Merlin faced the challenge of delivering 500 power systems within just three months, during a global pandemic and amid severe supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 and Brexit.
The Solution
Merlin Power developed a custom electrical power system that streamlined installation and reduced conversion time on each Mobile Testing Unit—critical to meeting the accelerated project timeline. To mitigate procurement challenges during a period of widespread supply chain disruption, Merlin Power combined its in-house manufacturing capabilities with a trusted supplier network, ensuring consistent component availability and maintaining control over production quality and timelines.
The Outcome
Merlin Power successfully delivered 500 custom electrical power systems on time in March 2021, enabling the rapid deployment of an expanded national fleet of Mobile Testing Units (MTUs). The upgraded MTUs—designed to double previous testing capacity—became a vital part of the UK’s ongoing COVID-19 testing programme. By mid-2021, national testing had scaled to over 5 million tests per week, with MTUs providing flexible, high-capacity testing in response to local outbreaks and emerging variants. In recognition of this achievement, Merlin Power was awarded the Western Morning News Business Award for Innovation for developing and delivering the MTU electrical power system within just three months. The project stands as a testament to Merlin Power’s ability to deliver critical infrastructure under pressure, supporting one of the largest public health testing efforts in UK history.
Deployment Map
Client Testimonial
“I particularly want to thank James Hortop and the team at Merlin Power who put the design together for the electrical system… all of these suppliers have worked in an unprecedented time scale even when we were hitting serious supply chain issues post-Brexit, everyone pulled together and did what they had to, to achieve what we had to achieve.”
—Nathan Smith, Director of TGS Group
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