A multi-million pound power unit designed to cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions has been installed at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

The new £4.3million unit was officially opened by Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, Lance McCarthy, chief executive, and Alan Burns, hospital trust chairman.

The new unit produces heat and energy from a single source by capturing heat as a by-product of electricity generation.

It is hoped that the unit will help cut carbon emissions by up to 30 per cent compared with conventionally-generated heat and power.

Hinchingbrooke will now produce its own energy, one of the few NHS Trusts to invest in this technology, potentially saving more than £305,000 a year in running costs.

Chief executive Lance McCarthy said: “In addition to the savings, the new unit is a much-needed upgrade, as our mechanical and electrical infrastructure had not been updated since the hospital was built in 1983.

“Over these years our electricity usage has risen by more than 40 per cent, so I welcome the opportunity to cut costs and carbon emissions, while also maintaining a stable supply of heat and power for the years ahead.”