Mater Dei Hospital is expected to significantly cut its carbon dioxide emissions this year after replacing 14 air-cooled chillers with higher-efficiency ones which require less gas to cool the air.

The replacement project saw engineers swap out old chillers which were installed when the hospital first opened with new ones over two phases, with seven chillers swapped out in each phase.

Apart from the significant emissions reductions – the equivalent of installed more than 3,700 300Wp-rated photovoltaic panels – replacing the chillers is also expected to cut the hospital’s electricity bill by around €1.1 million every year.  

Air-cooled chillers are used to control air temperatures throughout Mater Dei’s 300,000 sqaure metres of space.

The project, which began last year, will cost €6.5 million when maintenance costs for the new chillers over a 15-year period is factored in, the Health Ministry said.

“The ministry takes pride in pushing forward a greener agenda that will guarantee a healthier environment to benefit us all,” said Health Minister Chris Fearne.

“We see this as part of our mission firmly believing that prevention is, was and will remain better than cure.”

Mater Dei Hospital is now working to replace two water-cooled chillers and one water chiller with newer models, the ministry said.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the hospital opened in 2003, rather than 2007.

Minister Fearne is given a tour of the new equipment.