2022 Commonwealth Games are striving for net-zero - here's how

Some of the equipment powering the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this year has been unveiled as the event seeks to be the first of its kind to be carbon neutral.

Urban forests, low-carbon tech powered by cooking oil, and a "mains first" approach to energy generation are central to its thesis, with Scottish utility firm Aggreko having been selected to power the games.

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The 11-day event will welcome 6,500 athletes from 72 nations and Britain's second-largest city is looking to power the event in a "socially conscious way", with Birmingham having first unveiled its sustainability plans last year.

Back in March 2021, the first details about how the event would strive for net-zero were released. The host planned to plant as many as 72 new urban woodlands alongside over 2,000 acres of new forests planted to help offset any emissions generated through the event.

It would also encourage visitors to the city to use more sustainable transport in a bid to slash emissions while working alongside Severn Trent to provide free water for everyone present and reduce plastic waste.

In addition, 100% of the cars used in the Games will be battery-electric. Electric vehicles have seen limited use in the Commonwealth Games since at least the 1998 event, held in Kuala Lumpur. For the 2014 Games, a fleet of 1,100 EVs, supplied by Ford was also used by the organisers.

However, the true extent to which Birmingham has managed to reach these goals will not be known until after the event has ended. But if it does manage to achieve its goals, it will set a high bar for future events.

Regardless, central to the core of its net-zero aims is how everything at the Games is powered, with the focus being on driving down emissions.

As mentioned, the organisers are taking a "mains first" approach to powering the Games, utilising existing infrastructure from venues, and reducing the reliance on external generators. However, where backups are needed, the team will be working closely alongside Aggreko to ensure emissions are reduced.

The firm was selected as its official energy support for Birmingham 2022, meaning it is responsible for planning temporary energy grids for 15 of the venues set to be used during the events. This means it will have to provide power for main venues such as Alexander Stadium and Coventry Stadium & Arena and additional sites key to the Game, including the athlete villages in Birmingham and Warwick and the remote vehicle security site.

In addition, the events will make use of greenfield sites at local parks in Warwick and Sutton, which will also require power.

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“As a client, we have been receptive and encouraged Aggreko to avail of innovation in power generation and to rethink established paradigms in this area. Collectively we have worked hard to ensure that nearly all the venues display some element of new technology or techniques", the Birmingham Games Head of Energy James Eade said.

The 120-strong fleet includes 117 of Aggreko's latest Stage V generators that run on vegetable oil, which significantly reduces CO2 and NOx (nitrous oxide) emissions while also offering cleaner air by reducing particulate matter.

In addition, the equipment has been designed to reduce noise, considering the residential areas that surround the venues.

The generators will be operating in a "load on demand" configuration, meaning they will replace a large, constantly operating generator with a group of smaller generators that can power up or down automatically according to demand onsite.

The generators will be powered by several batteries that run up to 300 kilovolt-amperes (kVa) - a similar size to those powering the EVs.

Primary generation and distribution equipment will take advantage of Aggreko’s remote monitoring centre which will "continually analyse performance to ensure equipment is always running at peak efficiency", the firm stated.

“While Aggreko is well-versed in the planning of temporary power for large-scale global events, we always strive to improve on every project we take on. As such, the entire business is wholeheartedly committed to its responsibility as 'Modular Energy Solutions Supporter', and its impact on the environment in 2022 and beyond", said Aggreko's managing director for event solutions Robert Wells.

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“The sustainability conversation has of course been ongoing for some time, but now our latest Greener Upgrades programme enables us to easily advise customers on the small changes they can make to reduce harmful emissions and the use of fuel.

"For the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this means it can work to its goal of leaving a carbon-neutral legacy, which we are incredibly proud to support", he added.

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