Global resource management company Veolia will deliver several energy projects to further decarbonise the heat supply at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.
The project will use a ground source heat pump and thermal store, combined with solar arrays, to de-steam the current heating system and maximise energy efficiency. The hospital will be the first healthcare site where Veolia has delivered this type of design in the UK.
Veolia already manages energy at the hospital using combined heat and power (CHP). The new scheme combines a 1,400kW ground source heat pump system with a 70,000 litre thermal store to optimise system efficiency. The heat pump will operate at a higher load when it is most efficient to charge the store and deplete it over several hours.
The heat pump will be supported by 1MWp renewable electricity, supplied from ground mounted and roof mounted solar PV arrays. According to Steve Taylor, group director of estates for University Hospital Tees, the Hartlepool site will be one of the first hospitals in the country to use an aquifer based ground source heat pump system.
A bespoke management system developed by Veolia will use smart controls to oversee the electrical and thermal balancing of the system. The smart control strategy is pitched to further optimise overall system performance, as well as providing resilience to the site through carbon balancing.
High and low voltage electrical infrastructure upgrades will be needed to support the project, which will see a new plant and equipment installed with an extension of the site’s existing HV ring main.
Supporting NHS net zero targets
The projects will be maintained through a 24/7 operating contract. Veolia currently provides energy and facilities management to over 100 UK hospitals.
Veolia’s chief operating officer for Industrial, Water & Energy for UK, Ireland and Nordics, John Abraham, said: “To make a real difference and limit the damaging effects of climate change needs innovation, and this latest hospital upgrade shows what we can do for the vital healthcare sector as part of our Green Up strategic programme.
“This will help the NHS meet the net zero target , and we look forward to working in partnership with the teams at Hartlepool, and achieving their environmental goals.”
The NHS has ambitions to reach net zero by 2045, pushing for an 80% reduction in emissions by 2036-2039. To that end, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has funded projects like the installation of a 1.1MWp solar car park (SCP) at Eastbourne District General Hospital as part of a £27 million energy management contract with Veolia.
