CHP technology helps to nearly halve CO2 emissions from Birmingham hospital
Trigeneration CHP in the new energy centre of Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital is helping to reduce primary energy consumption by 21%, CO2 emissions by 42% and the utility spend by 24%. The centre was designed, constructed and financed by clean-technology business Ener-G, which also operates it and guarantees annual cost savings of £688 000.
Heat from the CHP is used to provide heating, steam and hot water for the hospital in winter and chilled water for air conditioning the summer.
The project involved switching from coal to natural gas, including a new gas main. Heating mains were replaced and numerous plant rooms upgraded. A 1164 kW(e) CHP unit and 300 kW absorption chillers were installed.
Finance for the programme is structured around a 15-year public/private partnership contract and included a grants of £403 000 from the Carbon Trust under the Government’s Community Energy Programme.
