Work starts on Wolverhampton hospital solar farm

The site is about the size of 22 football pitches

Work has started on a solar farm which is expected to produce renewable energy for a hospital.

The 12-hectare (30 acre) scheme is being developed on a former landfill site next to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

It is thought to be the first hospital in England to be powered by a solar farm, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said.

It is hoped the £11m initiative will save about £1m a year in energy bills.

The hospital could be run for about three quarters of the year using the renewable energy, the trust added.

Existing green energy sources already in use at the hospital include harnessing heat from a waste incinerator and a combined heat and power system.

The NHS has committed to a target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Attending a launch event on Thursday Lord Patrick Carter, non-executive director at NHS Improvement said it was a "wonderful innovation".

"It is my hope that other trusts throughout the country will follow The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's lead," he said.

Wolverhampton councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for climate change, said the development would also help deliver a "greener city".

The solar farm is due to be completed and operational by spring 2022.