Nottingham City Hospital ends coal heating in NHS first
11 May 2026
Nottingham City Hospital, thought to be the last NHS hospital in the UK still using coal-fired heating, has completed a £34.8m switch to low-carbon energy systems expected to cut more than 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and save £1.4m a year in energy costs.
The two-phase decarbonisation programme replaced ageing coal and gas boilers with a new energy centre, air source heat pumps and solar panels, alongside upgrades to more than 6,600 LED light fittings. A second phase added a 400kW air source heat pump system serving the hospital’s Maternity and Urology departments, a 160kW waste heat recovery water source heat pump, and a site-wide building management system designed to integrate energy controls across the hospital onto a single platform.
The project was carried out by Vital Energi at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s City Hospital site. Funding came through the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, administered by Salix Finance.
Independently verified operational data covering more than a year showed the anticipated annual savings had been achieved. The building management system alone reduced gas consumption by more than 7.4 million kilowatt hours a year.
Work took place while the acute hospital remained fully operational. The transition from the former coal-fired boiler house to the new energy centre involved temporary changes to the hospital’s main heat supply, while demolition works included the removal of two chimney stacks, one close to the hospital’s Cardiac Centre.
Planning for the scheme began several years before construction started in 2021, during a period that included changes to NHS funding arrangements and revisions to government grant programmes.
John Runniff, account development director at Vital Energi, says:
“Nottingham City Hospital was the last hospital in the UK still burning coal, and that chapter is now closed. This was a multifaceted project which required the team to use their broad range of skills to complete. Delivering in a live acute hospital adds a layer of complexity that very few contractors are equipped for, and that expertise is something we’ve built over decades.
“What makes this especially satisfying is that the results speak for themselves. The savings have been independently verified and we derisked our heating system both primarily plant and the heating distribution system and take the first steps for de-steaming the hospital, a key necessity to achieve the Trust’s Net Zero Carbon target. The hospital now has modern, resilient energy infrastructure built to last.”
Alberto Jaume, programme manager of decarbonisation schemes at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, adds:
“This landmark project was an important part of moving us away from relying on coal and gas energy and towards clean energy and our ambitious 2040 Net Zero Carbon Goal.
“We are pleased with the vast reduction of our City Hospital’s carbon footprint, and the cost savings that this decarbonisation has brought to the Trust.
“Most importantly, the decarbonisation of our City Hospital site and the investment in the behind-the-scenes management systems has enabled us to create more comfortable environments for our patients and staff, both today and for generations to come.”
