A net zero project in Manchester’s The Christie has led to huge carbon emissions and cost savings, the NHS has announced.
It is estimated that its decarbonisation programme has saved The Christie around £500,000 in energy costs and helped to cut approximately 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
The scheme has been a vital part of the trust’s sustainable development management plan and represents a significant stride towards the health service’s carbon commitments.
Renewable technology
The measures taken by The Christie are expected to reduce reliance on external power and thus the need to import expensive electricity – the local community is also set to benefit from the created smart grid. The integrated energy solution features:
- a new combined heat and power plant;
- a new energy-efficient boiler;
- two air source heat pumps;
- 640 solar panels for independent electricity generation and;
- a 2MW battery energy storage system for storing excess electricity.
Energy efficiency upgrades, meanwhile, include 3,000 LED lights, part of the aged steam heating infrastructure being replaced with modern high-efficiency low-temperature hot water distribution, and optimisation and upgrades to the existing Building Energy Management Systems.
A big step
"We are very pleased with the decarbonisation scheme,” said The Christie’s head of estates, Alex Beedle. “The reduction in carbon emissions is estimated to be around 10% of the total from our site and is a big step towards achieving our ambitions for net zero in accordance with NHS Targets. We will also make significant savings on our energy bill year after year.”
The project was partly funded through an £8m grant from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – this is in addition to £6.9m from the trust with support from Salix. The Christie’s net zero project also benefitted from the Carbon and Energy Fund Framework.
Ian Rodger, director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix, explained: “This is an important project and will certainly help The Christie NHS Foundation Trust support the transition to a net zero healthcare service.
“The NHS has set an ambitious target to reach net zero by 2040 for the emissions the NHS controls directly, and we are delighted to be on the journey with The Christie, supporting the team with its decarbonisation work.”
Electric vehicle charging points have been installed at The Christie’s Withington site to support lower carbon transport options for staff.
Image credits: iStock and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
