£35.5m grant accelerates Aston’s transformation to Net Zero campus
Aston University has been awarded a £35.5 million grant from the UK Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to support its transformation into an innovative, Net Zero carbon campus.
The funding, run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix, will revolutionise how the campus operates.
A state-of-the-art Green Energy Centre will be built in a newly-acquired facility on Woodcock Street that will also house the triple-crown accredited Aston Business School, the Aston Business Hub, and the Aston Integrated Healthcare Hub.
The new Green Energy Centre powered by new generation sustainable technologies will accelerate Aston University’s Net Zero emission timeline to 2028, two years ahead of the original, ambitious target.
The Centre will also serve as a living lab supporting cutting-edge research and education in sustainable technologies.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be reduced by over 90 per cent from the 2005/06 baseline as a result of moving away from fossil fuels used in the University’s district heating and electricity network.
Furthermore, the project includes the decommissioning of gas boilers currently used in the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) and the Aston Day Hospital buildings as well as energy efficiency projects in several other high-traffic buildings across the campus.
The centre will be future-proofed, with a Zero Carbon 10MW capacity Energy Centre (the current demand is 8.2MW), allowing Aston University to grow sustainably.
Professor Aleks Subic, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Aston University, said: “The ambitious Aston University 2030 sustainability strategy is being realised by establishing the new Green Energy Centre that will enable the University to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2028, two years ahead of our plan.
“This transformational initiative demonstrates in action a model for how universities can drive environmental innovation while creating spaces where people and ideas flourish. Every breath we take will be cleaner, every space on our campus healthier for the Aston team, students, partners, and community.”
Director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix, Ian Rodger, said: “We look forward to working with Aston University and supporting it to deliver its Net Zero carbon emission strategy.
“We have no time to waste when addressing climate change and, at Aston, we can see the vision to create not only a healthier environment in which to work and study but a campus that is well set up for the future.”
