South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust has taken a significant step towards a greener future with a £8.1m grant to lower the carbon footprint of its estate.
The funding comes as part of a national programme to decarbonise public sector buildings, supported by a grant scheme launched in 2020 by the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered by Salix Finance.
South Wales-based FP Hurley will deliver a district heating system powered by air and water source heat pumps at Warwick Hospital, alongside other energy conservation measures such as double glazing, improved building management systems, and a solar photovoltaic (PV) roof array.
The development will deliver at least an annual saving of 1,236 tonnes of CO2.
The project is being delivered through the Carbon and Energy Fund Framework (CEF), which has been specifically created to fund complex energy infrastructure upgrades for public sector organisations.
A commitment to change
Cristina Calleja, sustainability manager at the Trust, said: “The estates, capital, and sustainability teams have worked very hard for the past few months putting together a grant application and finding a partner for this project.
“This new way of delivering heat to our site will reduce our carbon emissions and benefit our staff, patients, and visitors and we are delighted to have received the funding enabling us to deliver the work.
“We believe this project demonstrates our commitment to climate change at the trust.”
Dr Ken Gale of F P Hurley added: “This Salix grant-funded project enables F P Hurley to deliver the best-in-class energy efficiency measures and provides a 17-year partnership that will help the trust to meet its net zero targets.
“This will be done by cutting the trust’s reliance on fossil fuels and will advance its progress to eliminate carbon emissions by 2045.”