Demonstration projects

The project has successfully developed and delivered a suite of demonstration projects, with the support of colleagues across NRW.

These projects showcase opportunities to reduce emissions, increase carbon storage and protect carbon stocks to deliver action now on the organisation's carbon impact.

Case studies are being produced to capture our experience and learning for others and will be available as part of sharing our approach.

Buildings

• LED lighting in 10 offices, saving around 44 tonnes CO₂e per year. Read the LED installation case study
  
  
• Solar PV panels planned for 9 buildings, predicted to save 50 tonnes CO₂e per year. Read the solar PV installation case study
  
  
• Energy efficient boilers and biomass boilers in our buildings. Our biomass boiler at Coed y Brenin is predicted to save 50 tonnes
  
  

Transport

• Delivering three Nissan Leaf fully electric vehicles in the fleet (based at Maes-y-Ffynnon, Buckley and Llandarcy), alongside installing charging points at these offices and Haverfordwest. Staff demonstration sessions and clear user guidance were key in the successful launch, which has seen up to 73% utilisation of vehicles in their first month of use
  
  
• Installing electric vehicle charging points for visitors at two key visitor centres – Coed y Brenin and Bwlch Nant yr Arian. Read the electric cars and charging infrastructure case study

Land and assets

• Over 60 hectares of peatland restoration protecting key carbon stocks. Read the bunding case study and the moss establishment case study
  
  
• 6.7 hectares of broadleaved woodland planting at three sites incorporating community benefits. The 4 hectares we have planted in the Gethin Forest will store around  3,000 tonnes CO2e over 100 years
  
  
• Installation of solar PV on flood risk assets, including 42 hydrometry and telemetry assets, to reduce dependency on grid electricity. Our installation planned for Cilfrew gauging station will generate over 900kWh of renewable electricity to power the asset. Read the retrofitting operational assets with solar PV case study

Procurement

• Developing a Carbon Management Policy for procurement in NRW
  
  
• Trialling new assessment tools
  
  
• Influencing key contracts, including trialling a carbon planning tool to address carbon in our civil engineering framework. Other organisations and their contractors have achieved over 40% carbon emissions reductions in the construction of major flood defence schemes using the tool. Key staff in NRW’s procurement and projects delivery teams have now been trained in its use. Read the carbon planning tool case study
  
  
• Working with forestry operations staff to refine estimates of contractor emissions from forestry harvesting and haulage, providing a robust evidence base from which to identify opportunities to reduce emissions. Read the forestry operations emissions case study