Tuesday 28 June 2022
Transport for London launches tender to power Tube with renewable energy
Transport for London (TfL) has launched its first tender with the ambition of powering the Tube using 100% renewable electricity.
It initially aims to purchase around 10% of TfL's required electricity needs from renewable energy sources and new-build assets.
The power purchase agreement (PPA) will guarantee the electricity supplied to power the Tube and TfL's operations through the contract will come from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
TfL is one of the largest consumers of electricity in the UK, with a requirement for up to 1.6TWh per year – equivalent to the power needs of around 420,000 homes or 12% of homes across London.
Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at TfL said: “As one of the largest electricity consumers in the UK, we are absolutely committed to doing what we can to decarbonise London through clean, renewable energy.
“TfL is already a world leader in many environmental initiatives and we are pleased to have now started procurement on our first Power Purchase Agreement which forms the next major step in our quest to make all our services powered via renewable electricity by 2030.
“Once in place, approximately 10% of our required electricity will come from renewable energy sources, delivered by ‘new build assets’. These will support the wider UK economy by creating green jobs in construction and operation.”
The news comes as Sadiq Khan also announced London has signed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global plan to phase out fossil fuel production and accelerate a “just and fair” transition to clean energy.
It builds on the ongoing work to divest from fossil fuel companies, which includes working with the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) to divest from all the extractive fossil fuel firms within their listed equity portfolio and co-chairing the C40 Divestment/Investment network with the Mayor of New York.
A total of 18 C40 cities have signed up to pension funds worth more than $400 billion (£326bn) committed to divestment.
Mr Khan added: “When it comes to tackling air pollution and the climate emergency, I’m determined to ensure that London continues to take bold action. As many national governments around world dither, cities have a responsibility to act and to show what’s possible. We are the doers, not the delayers.
“The main cause of the climate emergency is fossil fuels so I’m calling on cities around the world to follow London’s lead and to commit to phasing out their use.
“The cost of inaction to our economies, livelihoods, the environment and the health of Londoners is far greater than the cost of transitioning to net zero - and we simply don’t have time to waste. This first step to powering the Tube network and TfL’s wider operations with 100% renewable source electricity is another crucial part of reducing carbon emissions and building a better, greener London for everyone.”
