A major project to decarbonise North Tyneside General Hospital with the aim of reducing carbon emissions by 75% has been completed. 
 
The £22M project was funded by the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which supports the delivery of the NHS ambitious goal to become net zero by 2040 and to reduce direct emissions from public sector buildings by at least 50% by 2032. 
 
Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management, the estates and facilities subsidiary of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, worked in partnership with Dalkia to deliver a range of energy efficiency and capital improvements across North Tyneside General Hospital. 
 
This work was delivered under the Strategic Energy and Asset Management (SEAM) Framework, a multiple supplier framework for the provision of a raft of energy efficient technologies, practices and demand reduction for the public sector. Saving time and money, it allows organisations to quickly engage suppliers, and gives the option to scale up or down depending on end user demand. 
 
The project included installing large-scale heat pumps, the installation of solar (PV) panels and the replacement of the steam system which provides heating for the hospital. The trust has also taken steps to upgrade its infrastructure through the installation of new transformers which are more energy efficient compared to the old ones. Additionally, two new substations have been built, forming a new high-voltage (HV) ring, installing a new switchgear to enhance the infrastructure’s reliance, and ensuring a reliable power supply. 
 
Damon Kent, Manging Director at Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management said: “We’re delighted that this work has been completed at North Tyneside General Hospital. This has been an extremely important project for us and is another way we have invested heavily in our estates and facilities, ensuring new developments and refurbishing existing buildings to make them as sustainable as possible. 
 
“A significant amount of work has been undertaken to complete this project and we’d like to thank everyone involved who helped us reach this milestone.” 
 
This is just another initiative that the trust has implemented to improve its sustainability efforts; in 2021 the trust refreshed its commitment with the launch of the Community Promise, which has Action on Environment as one of its key pillars. The trust also plans to launch a new sustainability action plan in December under the name, Net Zero Northumbria. This new plan will detail commitments made to help the trust in its sustainability efforts and reach net zero by 2040.  
 
Clare Winter, head of sustainability at Northumbria Healthcare said: “This project sets a very clear statement about the trust’s ambitions to decarbonise our estate. We take our Community Promise & our Net Zero Northumbria plans very seriously and are proud of our achievements at North Tyneside General Hospital, and it sets the benchmark going forward.” 
 
Jonathan Kershaw, Manging Director at Dalkia (Energy Services) said: “This project not only demonstrates technical innovation that delivers significant decarbonisation but also it demonstrates the benefits of the great teamwork and collaboration that has existed between Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management, the Trust and Dalkia. I am grateful to the teams for all their hard work that has helped us get to this point and Dalkia are looking forward to working with the Trust on the next stages of their journey to Net Zero.” 
 

North Tyneside General Hospital is just one of hundreds of organisations helping the North East reach its net zero targets and make a difference on a global scale. Do you have a net zero story to share? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Join the Net Zero North East England mailing list here.