Media Release
Date: 06 January 2025
The RUH plans for a greener future
The Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath NHS Foundation Trust has taken its next step towards becoming a more sustainable and energy-efficient organisation, following the submission of a planning permission application to make major improvements to the heating system at its Combe Park site.
In 2025, the RUH received a £21.6-million government grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which will be used to enable the hospital to reduce the carbon emissions over which it has direct control by 19% initially, and 25% by 2030. The grant will be used to partially de-steam the site by replacing its ageing, inefficient boiler heating systems with more sustainable and energy-efficient equipment. This change will improve the air quality around the hospital for patients and visitors, staff and the local community.
The grant, which is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix, will also fund other important improvements such as installing, solar panels and LED lighting, which is more user-friendly, environmentally friendly and comfortable for staff and patients.
The RUH is working with resource management company Veolia to deliver these changes. Now Veolia has submitted a planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council on the hospital’s behalf so that this work can begin.
Toni Lynch, Chief Nursing Officer for the RUH, said: “The RUH is aiming to reach Net Zero for scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030, in line with Bath and North East Somerset Council, and for the benefit of all of the people in our community. Decarbonising our site, and moving towards cleaner, more energy-efficient options, is essential in helping us reach this goal. We are very grateful to all the partners who are working together with us on this exciting project to make these vital changes.”
The application focuses on the redevelopment of the hospital’s existing Energy Centre on the west of its site and would see four Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) installed on the roof of the Energy Centre. The carefully researched proposals include steps to reduce noise omitted by the ASHPs, to make sure that residents living on roads close to the development notice as little difference as possible.
The ASHPs would also heat water to a lower temperature before distributing it around the RUH site. This means less heat is lost as it’s transported from the energy centre to the end users. Because ASHPs would provide the same output more efficiently, their installation would mean that the RUH could decommission some of the existing, less environmentally friendly gas boilers. The new system would also see fewer leaks and disruption to services, as the pipes would be more accessible for maintenance.
A future planning application, expected to be submitted in the new year, will see the hospital apply for additional permissions where required to install the pipework and other infrastructure that is needed to circulate this lower-temperature water.
Improving air quality in this way is not just important for the environment. It also benefits the health of all those who use, work in and live near the hospital. Fossil fuels are one of the main contributors towards ill-health caused by air pollution, and it’s thought that over one-third of asthma cases could be avoided by efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Ian Rodger, Director of Public Sector Decarbonisation at Salix, said: “The NHS has set challenging net zero targets and we are looking forward to working with the RUH as it progresses its journey in support of these targets.”
If plans are approved, work would start soon after and be completed by 2026.
ENDS
