Projects

Decarbonising a property portfolio with TFL

Transport for London (TfL) is making vital changes to reduce its carbon impact and develop green ways of working, including removing the use of fossil fuels across its estate. 

Key information

Client Transport for London

Location United Kingdom

Project type Energy and natural resources

Services Programme advisory

Project timeline 2023 - 2023

Palestra House and Southwark Underground, Southwark, London

Contact

Ben Hartfield

Principal Consultant

Accessing multimillion-pound, green funding 

We have helped TfL secure more than £16m from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) for a range of works that will reduce the transport network’s carbon emissions. PSDS is the UK government’s funding scheme to assist public sector organisations in meeting the costs of heat decarbonisation and implementing energy efficiency measures.

To date, three phases of the scheme have seen more than £2.4bn allocated to organisations across the UK. The intention is to reduce carbon emissions from public sector real estate and infrastructure by 75 percent by 2037.

Project story

Planning a scope of works for sustainability

TfL wanted to raise additional funds to begin decarbonising its extensive building portfolio, including office accommodation, bus and train stations and depots. We were commissioned to identify suitable properties that featured end-of-life heating assets and which qualified for PSDS funding.

We also recommended site-specific decarbonisation measures which included the installation of heat pumps and solar PV generation to end reliance on gas powered heating, along with LED lighting, improved glazing, and wall insulation. We then compiled this information and created the application to meet the PSDS requirements. 

Through our advisory and project management services we provided site identification, asset assessment and energy options appraisals that led to TfL successfully being awarded two grants. A grant of £14m will be used to reduce carbon emissions at six of TfL’s head office sites and another grant, worth more than £2m, will reduce emissions at Neasden Depot and Finchley Central Signals Depot for London Underground.

Funding the clean energy transition

TfL’s Palestra office in Southwark, London represents 45 percent of TfL’s total head offices’ gas use and 22 percent of the company’s total office carbon-emissions. Once the works are completed and gas heating is no longer used at the site, zero carbon will be emitted through gas at Palestra, and the office’s total carbon emissions will reduce by 22 percent.

The upgrades made possible through the PSDS Phase 3c funding will help TfL achieve a reduction of almost 2,000 tonnes CO₂e annually.

The UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was also expected to announce further guidelines for Phase 4 of the PSDS late 2024.