£2.65m project to future-proof North Hykeham facilities
A £2.65m project has secured funding to replace outdated equipment at OneNK and Whisby Natural World Centre in North Hykeham.
The programme will reduce running costs, help the environment and save hundreds of tons of harmful emissions every year according to North Kesteven District Council, which has worked on the projects for 18 months.
The future-proofing of both sites against future fuel cost peaks which will see both facilities have their heating systems fully redesigned and refitted to eliminate the use of gas and LPG. Work will complement the existing solar panels installed earlier this year. These panels directly power the centres and have already generated over 100,000 kWh of green electricity.
This investment, mostly funded by a grant from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, will save over 620 tonnes of CO2e each year, cut energy consumption and reduce maintenance expenses –saving an estimated £50,000 a year.
This signifies a large reduction in NKDC’s overall energy consumption with OneNK alone accounting for approximately 26% of the council’s current carbon footprint.
Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “Not only do such projects help reduce the Council’s environmental impact, but they also save money which is essential to safeguarding the long-term viability of council services and facilities.
“We’re determined as a council to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint, and we do it in ways that save money and have other benefits for our residents, not just for the sake of it.”
“I’m proud that our team has been successful in securing such a large grant from central government which will mark a significant investment in our facilities to benefit local people for years to come.”
At Whisby Natural World Centre a 23-year-old LPG system will be replaced with energy efficient air source heat pumps, and work will be done to improve the airtightness of the building as a whole.
At OneNK, two 13-year-old gas boilers, a 21-year-old gas boiler and two 10-year-old combined heat and power (CHP) units will be replaced by an array of new air source heat pumps amongst other essential plant and electrical upgrades.
Just under £319,000 of the funding will come from council reserves, with the remaining £2.34m coming from the decarbonisation grant scheme, which is delivered by Salix and run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix Ian Rodger said: “Climate change is not standing still and at Salix we’re proud to work with organisations across the UK to reduce our carbon footprint.
“We’re delighted to work with North Kesteven District Council to support its decarbonisation journey. Thanks to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme these popular leisure facilities will not only become more energy efficiency, but they will be more comfortable places for the community to enjoy.”