Sadiq Khan unveils plans to run Tube network on solar power

by · Mail Online

Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans to run the Tube network on solar power, with hopes of building net-zero farms in leafy London suburbs. 

Transport for London (TfL) has opened a tender for developers to build the farms, with Mr Khan setting out plans to position them in the commuter belt.

The £175million scheme is part of TfL's wider ambition to use 100 percent renewable source electricity across its operations by 2030.  

Solar farms would require several hundred acres of land, so counties such as Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex are being considered.

Transport for London has unveiled plans to run the London Underground on solar power, with hopes the net-zero farms will be built next to stations in leafy suburbs
The £175million scheme is part of TfL's wider ambition to use 100 percent renewable source electricity across its operations by 2030 (stock)

TfL is the largest single electricity consumer in London with a demand of approximately 1.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) per year, which is equivalent to the electricity consumed by around 420,000 homes or 12 percent of homes across London. 

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This means that it is left with a huge power bill of around £350m annually. 

Lilli Matson, TfL's chief safety, health and environment officer, said: 'We're inviting bidders to help us deliver purpose-built solar photovoltaic (PV) farms for the Tube network … This is the start of a long-term journey to decarbonise London's iconic transport system.' 

The purpose-built solar farms could provide up to 64 megawatts of clean energy, which is around 5 percent of the electricity needed to run the London Underground network, it said. 

Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, said: 'The Mayor has ambitious goals to cut London's carbon footprint, so powering London's world-leading transport system with green energy is a clear win-win. Installing solar panels as a source of renewable energy is one of many ways organisations in London can lower their carbon footprint.

The company has opened a tender for developers to build the energy farms, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan hoping to reduce transmission losses by positioning them at the end of tube lines
The purpose-built solar farms could provide up to 64 megawatts of clean energy, which is around 5 percent of the electricity needed to run the London Underground network, it said (stock)

'Not only will the solar panels help TfL to cut running costs and save passengers money, they will also create green jobs while helping TfL to reduce its carbon emissions.

Currently most of the electricity used by TfL is drawn from the national grid and powers 1600 building, 270 Underground stations and more than 20 depots.

TfL said in a statement: 'The location of projects will be determined by the developer. Due to the nature of private wire schemes, it will likely be required to be close to the TfL network.' 

Frank Gordon, director of policy at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, said: 'As one of the largest procurers of electricity in the South East, this is a considerable opportunity for the solar industry to partner with a leading public organisation and start to roll out innovative solutions for decarbonising our energy supplies.

'As the UN's recent warnings on likely future temperature rise make clear, the time for such action is now and has never been more clear both environmentally but also economically, with the spikes in fossil fuel bills in recent times.'

Rosie Allen, policy adviser at Green Alliance, said: 'It's exciting to see this innovation into powering London's Tube network with solar.

'TfL is continuing to trailblaze on sustainable transport. Soon the District line won't be the only green route on the Tube.'