Oxford United Football Club has announced plans to build what it says would be the first stadium in the country powered solely by electricity.
The club would use a low-carbon energy supply to create an ‘all-electric’ stadium, with power also generated by 3,000 sq m of solar panels on the roof.
The club said the solar panels would generate enough energy to boil around 3 million 3-litre kettles per year.
The proposed 16,000-capacity stadium at the Triangle, near Kidlington in Oxford, would not use any high-carbon intensity fossil fuels such as gas.
Other plans include a modern building fabric design and heat recovery initiatives to maximise thermal efficiency.
Oxford said the use of air-source heat pumps as the development’s primary heat source would result in an estimated 80% reduction in CO2 emissions a year compared with gas boilers, when aggregated over the year.
‘One of the greenest stadiums to be built’
The stadium would also include drainage systems, rain storage and recycling solutions to reuse rainwater. The club said plans to enhance biodiversity on the land at the Triangle would achieve a significant net gain.
The announcement comes days after the club announced it had signed the UN Sports for Climate Action framework to help tackle the climate crisis. The club has committed to halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2040.
Development director at Oxford United, Jon Clarke, said: “The standout element of the stadium is it will be the most sustainable mid-sized sports venue in the country. We want to make the most of the opportunity to create something special – it would be one of the greenest football stadiums to be built.”
The club is currently preparing to submit its full planning application.
