The NTW Solutions Sustainability Team has secured almost £5m of government funding which will allow for a radical overhaul of the outdated heating system at St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth. The aging steam boiler and the steam infrastructure which currently uses gas, will be replaced with electric air source heat pumps, a more efficient and low carbon technology. The funding is much needed as the existing boiler plant, which is up to 30 years old, and the steam infrastructure, which is at least 60 years old, are in urgent need of replacement and increasingly challenging to maintain. 

The steam boiler at St Nicholas Hospital sends the steam out through pipes that run in underground corridors across the site. That in itself is inefficient and takes constant maintenance and steam can leak from the extensive pipe system and be wasted.

NTW Solutions manages the estate for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) and this project is a key part of delivering the CNTW Green Plan. The grant has been secured from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. CNTW will contribute additional funding towards the project.

The project will span two years with a planning phase and then a delivery phase completing in March 2027. It will reduce our carbon emissions from energy by 10%, as well as reducing the maintenance challenges of the current aging system and improve efficiency overall.

This is a major project to carry out and is a huge success for the Sustainability Team as the grant scheme is heavily oversubscribed. It will be a milestone on our journey to net zero carbon and a key element in the delivery of the CNTW Green Plan.