More than £20m will be spent on low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT).

The trust has been awarded the cash from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.

The initial programme of works, being carried out in conjunction with Vital Energi, has seen the installation of air source heat pumps, which will reduce the consumption of natural gas, installing photovoltaics for electrical generation, switching to energy-efficient LED lighting, and replacing single-glazed windows with low-U-value double glazing to reduce building fabric heat loss.  

The next phase of work will focus on reducing energy demand by installing draftproofing and roof insulation and expanding the number of buildings connected to the local district heating network.

As an anchor institution, it's important that we make a positive contribution to our local community and converting our waste into energy, not only benefits the trust, but helps provide affordable low-carbon heating for households across Leeds

In April, Beckett Wing at St James's University Hospital became the first of the trust’s buildings to connect to Leeds PIPES.

The heating network provides affordable, reliable, and sustainable heat to connected buildings and uses recovered heat to serve the households and businesses across the city, including the trust, to provide a low-carbon alternative to the traditional burning of fossil fuels for hot water heating.

Craige Richardson, director of estates and facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero is a top priority for the trust and this funding will enable us to deliver schemes and initiatives that will reduce our carbon footprint and decarbonise our estate. 

“As an anchor institution, it's important that we make a positive contribution to our local community and converting our waste into energy, not only benefits the trust, but helps provide affordable low-carbon heating for households across Leeds."

It is estimated that the projects will reduce carbon emissions by 5,500 tonnes per annum, which is equivalent to flying one way from Leeds Bradford Airport to New York 6,875 times, and the amount absorbed by 275,000 trees.

The trust has a wide-ranging approach to carbon reduction which has seen them focus on the highest C0₂ reduction measures to deliver the most-effective project

Chris Kelly, associate director for estate risk and compliance at the trust, said: “By fully integrating our road map for decarbonising the trust estate, we aim to achieve a targeted reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions and meet the NHS 2040 net zero ambitions. This includes planned and strategic investments in energy and building infrastructure, focusing on reducing operational energy use, increasing renewable technology, and low-carbon energy supply integration while maintaining resilience.”

Phil Mottershead, Vital Energi’s project development director, added: “The trust has a wide-ranging approach to carbon reduction which has seen them focus on the highest C0₂ reduction measures to deliver the most-effective project. This, combined with connection to the Leeds PIPES network, represents a step change for the trust in the way it generates and uses heat and we’re delighted to be helping it on its net zero journey.”