
Veolia has been selected to deliver a new multi-million pound “sustainable” FM contract that will focus on implementing hard services and carbon reduction measures across 144,300 square metres of patient care facilities.
Under its contract with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, the resource management provider will manage around 20,000 assets.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is the main provider of acute medical, surgical and outpatient services to around half a million people in west Berkshire, and manages over 130,000 A&E attendances, 60,000 non-elective admissions, 5,400 elective admissions, and over 40,000-day cases each year.
Key to supporting the healthcare buildings will be a 32 person strong site-based Veolia FM team, supported by mobile and specialist teams who will provide 24 hour cover for a range of FM, utility, mechanical and electrical services including heating, ventilation and cooling, emergency generation, lighting, medical furniture, compressed air and medical gas supplies. They will also deliver optimisation and control of all utilities that include gas, electricity, and hot and cold water supplies, and will liaise with the Environmental Agency, on behalf of the hospital, for environmental matters such as gas use, noise, and site impact.
Effective control of energy is handled by the team by using building energy management systems, with Hubgrade monitoring and targeting software providing additional analysis to further carbon reductions. This builds on the success of energy projects over the last 15 years that provided the design, build, operation and maintenance of an energy scheme that achieved a 25% carbon footprint reduction by 2015, and delivered energy savings of £920,000 per year. More recently Veolia helped the Royal Berkshire Hospital move a step nearer a zero-carbon future by installing hydrogen-ready boilers, believed to be the first use of this technology in the NHS. By installing more efficient boilers, reducing distribution heat losses, and improving control of the heating and hot water systems the hospital saves around 3.8GWh of gas and a further 850 tonnes of carbon per year.
John Abraham, Chief Operating Officer – Veolia UK & Ireland – Industrial, Water & Energy, comments:
Our Greenpath Zero carbon offer enables the NHS to become more sustainable, and focus budgets on patient care
“Through our experience of delivering successful FM and utility contracts in other hospitals, we understand how critical service delivery relies on a partnership approach to deliver services safely, efficiently and without disruption to patient care. Our Greenpath Zero carbon offer enables the NHS to become more sustainable, and focus budgets on patient care, we can help enhance the estate and move a step nearer the net zero carbon target. We look forward to continuing our support to the Trust, and advancing the programmes that can redirect cost savings to healthcare.”