YORK hospital has received a grant of over £9 million to help reduce its carbon emissions.

The grant supports a move away from fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal heating to renewable technologies.

Funding will provide energy efficiency improvements to the main ward block with external wall insulation and new windows, together with low carbon heat pumps and pipework insulation, resulting in 575 tonnes of carbon saving.

This will see York Hospital join Bridlington in becoming one of the most eco-friendly buildings on the east coast.

At Bridlington Hospital the funding has the potential to make the site a shining example of sustainability, achieving close to zero carbon emissions by replacing a twenty-year-old boiler with an air source heat pump.

The grant has been issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and is managed by Salix Finance.

Jane Money, head of sustainability, said:

“This is fantastic news for the Trust. Our target is to deliver a net zero estate by 2040 on all our buildings and an 80 percent reduction by 2032. The project at Bridlington will achieve more than an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions and at York it is the first step in a new programme to work towards these targets with significant carbon savings.

“As well as removing inefficient boilers from each hospital and installing new low carbon air source heat pumps, high efficiency fan motors and improved pipework insulation, solar panels will be provided to generate electricity at Bridlington which will help reduce our running costs.”

The grant aided work is part of the York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s commitment to actively encourage, promote and achieve zero carbon emissions in all that it does in line with NHS targets.

Simon Morritt, chief executive, said:

“As a large, acute healthcare organisation, we are determined to deliver our contribution to national carbon reduction targets and broader sustainable development principles. We are committed to incorporating sustainability into all that we do to ensure that our services are fit for the needs of the future without compromising on the services we provide at present.”