Scunthorpe General will be the first NHS hospital in England to use renewable geothermal power for its heating and hot water, helping to reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint by 60%.
Work on the groundbreaking new system is due to start on Monday, November 8, as part of a £40.3 million programme of works across the Trust’s sites in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole.
Across the Trust, the works are expected to save £1,012,653 and 5,036.83 tonnes of carbon every year – that’s the equivalent of 300 typical UK households.
Director of Estates and Facilities and Programme Director, Jug Johal, said: “By taking our heat directly from the ground, we will be able to remove our old, inefficient stream boilers, which will play a large part in reducing our carbon footprint on our Scunthorpe site by approximately 60%.
“This is really important to us, as we’re not just here for you when you become ill – we want to help to prevent illness in the first place – and poor environmental health is known to contribute to a number of major diseases, including cardiac problems, asthma and cancer.
“In addition to the new heating system, we are also installing more energy efficient LED lighting, improving our windows and insulation, adding additional solar panels and upgrading our Building Management Systems.”
In the coming weeks, boreholes for the new ground-source heat pumps will be drilled in up to four locations across the site – two off Church Lane and, potentially, two off Cliff Gardens.
Mr Johal added: “Although the drilling equipment is not particularly loud – it’s estimated to be about the level you would hear in your car whilst in city traffic – we are doing all we can to minimise the impact on our patients and our neighbours.
“We will be carrying out regular noise impact assessments, both before and during construction, and making adjustments where necessary.
“We’ve also written to those living in close proximity to the hospital site to let them know about our plans and to encourage them to get in touch with us if they have any questions or concerns.”
Unfortunately, in order to carry out the works safely, the trust will need to close off 53 public parking spaces on the Church Lane side of the site.
Mr Johal said: “We appreciate that being able to park close by is something that’s very important to our patients and visitors and apologise for the short-term disruption these works will cause.
“In order to maximise the parking available on the site, we have scheduled these works to start following the completion of the new decked car parking area, which has 91 spaces available for public use.
“Alternatively, you could use our popular Park and Ride service from Scunthorpe town centre, to help us prioritise our on-site parking for those who need it most.”
The funding for the project has been secured from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, a £1 billion government initiative supporting its commitment to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050[1].
It is administered by Salix Finance through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which leads on the PSDS scheme.
The work is being carried out by Breathe – an Imtech UK company, which is jointly owned by EDF Energy and Dalkia.
Managing Director, Gary Parke, said: “Breathe is proud to be leading this essential decarbonisation project for the Trust and commencing the drilling of these test boreholes is the first construction element of the ground source heat pumps, which are key to the overall project.
“The heat pumps are open loop, meaning groundwater is pumped from a borehole and carried to the heat pump, where, by means of the evaporator, the water transfers its heat. “The solution uses raw water from the aquifer which is not treated during the process so can safely be reinjected back into the ground.
“Up to four boreholes could be needed to provide sufficient water for the heat pumps, but the final number will be determined by the volume of water that can be extracted from the initial test sites.
“We aim to minimise the disruption for patients, visitors, staff and local residents and we will be carrying out Noise Impact Assessments before and during construction and will adjust our activity if necessary.
“Breathe will continue to work closely with the Trust and their clinical teams to plan and deliver these works with the minimum impact.”
[1] The UK’s 2050 net zero target — one of the most ambitious in the world — was recommended by the Committee on Climate Change, the UK’s independent climate advisory body. Net zero means any emissions would be balanced by schemes to offset an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as planting trees or using technology like carbon capture and storage.
