Milestone reached in delivering Net Zero ambitions at Nottingham University Hospital

At the heart of the initiative at the QMC is our new £15 million energy centre, which will, provide low carbon heating and cooling to the hospital site.  Two of the four high-efficiency heat pumps, each six metres wide, three metres high, and weighing a massive 33 tonnes, have now arrived on-site.

These heat pumps will extract heat from the air and draw from the natural warmth of the earth. To do that, 64 boreholes descending up to 250 metres (the length of seven Nottingham trams end-to-end) have been drilled under hospital car parks to provide a sustainable low carbon energy source.

In addition, 9,000 of the 12,000 windows at the hospital have been replaced with double glazing and the rest due to be completed by early next year.

This is part of our partnership with NUH to deliver a 15-year energy efficiency programme to cut CO₂ emissions by around 10,000 tonnes a year– the equivalent of taking more than 2,200 cars off the road.

The innovative heat pump and borehole system will reduce the carbon emissions associated with QMC's heating and cooling systems by more than 40%, whilst also contributing to cleaner air by lowering nitrogen oxide emissions.

Richard Spencer, Construction Director at E.ON, said: “We’re proud to have reached such a significant milestone in this ambitious project, helping to set new sustainability standards in healthcare.

“At E.ON, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions that have a meaningful impact. Our work with the QMC shows how sustainable energy solutions can help to drive environmental progress and improve operational efficiency whilst directly benefiting those that work, visit and stay at the hospital.”

Mike Soroka, Head of Estates at QMC, said: “It’s great to see this project progressing, and anyone who has been to the QMC recently will likely have seen the scaffolding up and the window replacement underway.

 “These projects are using cutting edge renewable geothermal heating and cooling technology which is important for NUH’s contribution and commitment to environmental sustainability and will also improve the experience and comfort of our patients, staff and local communities.”

NUH is the largest recipient of funding from Phase 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, initiated by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix Finance.  The programme is being facilitated by the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) which manages complex energy infrastructure upgrades for the NHS.