Heathrow animal reception centre cuts 56 tonnes of CO2 per year with solar panels and heat pumps
aircargonews.netA solar and heat pump retrofit at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre is now complete. The City of London Corporation managed facility installed 94 solar panels and multiple low-carbon heat pumps to replace outdated heating and lighting systems. The project cuts the site's carbon emissions by nearly 56 tonnes per year and saves over 44,500 pounds annually in energy costs. The work was done without disrupting the 24/7 operation of the UK's only Live Animal Border Control Post for all species. The upgrade reduces the facility's reliance on the National Grid and strengthens energy resilience at a critical border point. The City of London Corporation says the project is part of its Climate Action Strategy, which targets net zero in its own operations by 2027. For anyone tracking real world decarbonization of specialized infrastructure, this is a concrete example of solar and heat pumps replacing old systems in a high-stakes environment.