ENERGY Secretary Ed Miliband and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today unveiled a carbon calculator showing how many tonnes of carbon dioxide Southampton's ground breaking district energy scheme has saved since 1986.

The calculator, which will update every 20 minutes, shows that the scheme has slashed the city's carbon footprint by 112,538 tonnes in the 23 years it has been running.

The station, based between WestQuay shopping centre and West Quay Retail Park, produces energy from combined heat and power generators, bio-mass boilers and a geothermal well.

Mr Miliband said Southampton had been a trailblazer and called on other cities across Britain to develop their own district energy schemes.

“Hazel Blears and I are here because we want to see what is being not only want is being done on geothermal, but combined heat and power.

“What is remarkable about this scheme, which has been going since 1986, is the way it has not only signed residents, but also the public sector and the private sector who are seeing the benefits to them and the environment of combined heat and power.

“Southampton is leading Britain and leading parts of the world and we would like to see how we can have more of this.”