LIVERPOOL'S NEW ARENA and convention centre, which opened earlier this year, is aiming to become the most environmentally-friendly facility of its type in Europe, having been designed to produce half the CO2 emissions of a traditional building, and using 20 per cent less electricity.
The £164 million ACC Liverpool development on the city's King's Waterfront, includes the BT Convention Centre with 1,350 seats, a 3,725m2 multi-purpose hall and 18 further meeting rooms.
Total exhibition space is in excess of 7,000m2. The 'campus style' layout is claimed to make it particularly suitable for high security events.
The adjoining 10,600-seat Liverpool Echo Arena is designed to cater for large-scale entertainment and sporting events.
The venue has a purpose-built wind farm, comprising five 20-metre, low-noise wind turbines designed to took like works of art rather than traditionally-shaped turbine fans.
It will provide the equivalent of around 10 per cent of electricity for the arena and convention centre, while the remainder will be sourced from, energy supplier, E.ON's Green Portfolio.
The complex also collects rainwater from the roof and is committed to low-food miles, the catering contract having been awarded to Heathcotes, a company based in the Northwest, which means that they source and use fresh, seasonal produce from the surrounding areas.