Manchester’s Co-op Live To Be The UK’s First All-Electric Arena

Co-op Live Arena Manchester’s forthcoming venue Co-op Live will be the UK’s first all-electric arena when it opens its doors in 2023. The developers of the Oak View Group-owned arena have confirmed that the venue will achieve a 50 per cent reduction in energy usage when compared to other arenas of a similar size.

The timing of this announcement coincides with the increased interest is sustainability from Glasgow’s COP26 climate change summit.

The Co-op Live arena will also be the UK’s largest arena when finished. It is currently a year into its building phase, and expected to be ready to host events by 2023.

Mark Donnelly, COO of OVG International said: “Climate change is the single largest problem facing the planet today and we take our responsibility in creating a greener world seriously.

“I’m proud that it’s going to be the UK’s first all-electric arena and we’re also implementing a range of other features including solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and extensive green spaces to make sure it’s the UK’s most sustainable.”

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No gas supply will serve the site. Instead, the arena will use electricity for everything, from air-source heat pumps for heating and domestic hot water, to cooling and catering. The electricity will created be in part from rooftop solar panels, which will be used to power daily activity, and green electricity sourced from the grid will be accessed where needed to serve capacity for events.

The only fossil fuel to be used in the building relates to backup generators in case of a power shortage, as such safety generators are a regulatory requirement.

Overall, the design is intended to result in a 23% reduction in carbon emissions. Additionally, Manchester City Council’s net zero carbon target of 2038 is more likely to be met by the venue with them investing in electric-based infrastructure from the beginning.