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‘Green’ Canal Water Helps Fuel 21st Century Business

Up to 1,000 UK companies able to follow pharmaceutical
giant GSK ’s sustainable lead

British Waterways and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are today unveiling an innovative energy saving scheme at the pharmaceutical giant’s Grand Union Canal - canal-side - global headquarters - GlaxoSmithKline plc, 980 Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9GS in West London, England. The new green initiative will use canal water and heat exchange technology to provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional air conditioning – with a target of reducing GSK’s head office, carbon dioxide emissions by 920 tonnes per annum and lowering its energy bills.

As guardians of the 2,200 miles of canals and rivers in the UK, British Waterways estimates that a further 1,000 waterside businesses nationwide could follow the company’s lead by using canal water for heating or cooling. This would result in annual energy savings of £100m and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately one million tonnes – the equivalent to some 400,000 family-sized cars being taken off the roads. Income that British Waterways generates from the initiative will be reinvested into looking after the nation’s canal network.

In Scotland, the country’s first sustainable pub opened in April this year at Auchinstarry on the Forth & Clyde Canal. The Boathouse, a joint venture between Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) and British Waterways Scotland, uses a geothermal heating system and the residual heat in the canal is used to generate hot water and heating, whilst a reed bed treats waste naturally.

All the timber used in the construction has been harvested from a sustainable source and all general building materials were sourced according to the BRE Green Guide to Specification. Additional eco-friendly features include high levels of insulation, water saving sanitary fittings, energy efficient lighting and low energy consumption refrigeration and cellar cooling. The result is an estimated minimum 25% reduction in energy consumption compared to similarly sized pubs.

Dr Olivia Lassiere, heritage and environment manager, British Waterways Scotland said: “We are currently in discussions with a number of developers alongside the canals in Scotland who are interested in this technology. These types of interventions demonstrate British Waterways Scotland’s practical commitment to reducing the impacts of climate change. We actively encourage the greening of future developments along the canals in Scotland.”

Tony Hales, British Waterways’ chairman, comments: “A legacy of their industrial past, our waterways pass alongside thousands of waterside organisations seeking greener ways of doing business. GSK is leading the way as the first FTSE 100 company to embrace and realise the benefits of utilising their canal-side location to lower energy bills and reduce impact on the environment.”

The initiative in West London replaces a traditional air conditioning system and uses recyclable water from the Grand Union Canal to primarily cool GSK’s computer data centre via heat exchangers and a water-cooled chiller. The opportunity works in a similar way to a car radiator where cool air passes through the hot engine to lower its temperature. Because this results in water being returned to the canal slightly warmer, it has required an environmental analysis and consent from the Environment Agency.

Duncan Learmouth, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications and Global Community Partnerships, said: “GSK is committed to seeking innovative solutions to improve the environmental performance of the company. This approach will enable us to use a readily available source of water to cool our building – reducing the carbon dioxide emissions at our London headquarters by 920 tonnes each year. As well as making good business sense with a five year pay back of more than £100,000 of annual energy savings, the Grand Union Canal project is also one of our global sustainability initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to reducing GSK’s impact on the environment.”

Tony Hales continues: “Whilst the principle of using heat exchange technology to heat and cool buildings has been proven over a number of years in Northern Europe, harnessing the full heat exchange environmental opportunity afforded by Britain’s 200 year old network of canals and rivers is relatively new.

“The nation’s waterways have long provided a green network for boats, bikes, walkers and wildlife, but they can do even more to help Britain become a cleaner and more sustainable place. The genius of the waterways is that, 200 years after they were first built, they continue to adapt and contribute to modern society. We are only at the start of unlocking their full potential.”

In addition to GSK and The Boathouse, British Waterways estimates a further 1,000 UK businesses alongside its urban waterways could also harness the opportunity – primarily large offices that use considerable amounts of energy cooling their buildings as a result of the large amounts of heat generated by computers and lighting.