PwC, a tax and business consulting firm, plans to supply power to their Southbank office space using only chip fat sourced from restaurants, bars, and other businesses within London.
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The firm has just signed a deal for the biggest-ever office supply of chip fat. Every week, two 6,000 litre tankers, filled with used cooking oil from all over London, will supply the company’s new tri-generation facility.
Caterer Aramark is to be in charge of securing used cooking oil from other offices around London, and Arrow Oil will source the used cooking oil from restaurants and bars.
Two massive generators in the office building, fired by oil, will supply 25 per cent of electricity. Additionally, 20 per cent of the building’s heating and cooling will also come from the generators.
Jon Barnes, Head of Building & Facilities Services, PwC said: “When you think of green technologies you don’t think of used oil from a kitchen but the reality is these technologies offered us a real low carbon alternative to traditional fuel. It was an ambitious plan, when you realise a small restaurant might use 10 to 20 litres a week, and you see the scale of the deal we’re talking about, for just one site.”
“Securing the supply within the M25 was essential, as otherwise the carbon footprint for moving the oil increases and would have defeated the purpose of investing in the low carbon technology.”
PwC is aiming for a reduction in energy use per square metre of office space by 25 per cent by the year 2012. So far the company has succeeded in reducing energy by 16 percent.
Editor’s notes: We recently updated this article about the Co-Operative Group unveiling plans for its NOMA scheme at MIPIM in 2011
The first building that was completed at that scheme was One Angel Square – the new headquarters of The Co-Op.
That property is powered by a biodiesel cogeneration plant that uses waste rapeseed oil to convert to electricity and heat. The building achieved BREEAM Outstanding accreditation for this and many other environmentally friendly initiatives.