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Golf’s 2023 BMW PGA Championship will be the first ever sporting event to have its television production powered entirely by green hydrogen, meaning the DP World Tour tournament is set to produce zero emissions.
Confirmed:
- European Tour Productions, the DP World Tour’s in-house production company, and its production and distribution partner IMG are working with UK-based clean energy firm GeoPura to supply two hydrogen powered generators (HPUs) that will be positioned on the fairway of the sixth hole at Wentworth Club
- Estimated that relying on HPUs will save 16.4 tonnes of CO2 compared to last year’s BMW PGA Championship
- Golf buggies used at the tournament to transfer people and equipment across the site will also be recharged using electricity generated via hydrogen for the first time
Context:
Used in place of diesel generators, HPUs produce zero CO2 or particulate emissions, with water the only byproduct. GeoPura’s units work by utilising green hydrogen, produced through renewable energy sources, to generate emission free electricity which is being used to power the broadcast compound.
These developments form another part of the DP World Tour’s ‘Green Drive’ initiative, which has seen the organisation become the first professional golf tour to commit to being fully net zero carbon by 2040.
Other sustainability focused broadcast innovations include trialling remote productions for the first time this season. So far, five tournaments on the 2023 DP World Tour schedule have been produced remotely from the European Tour Productions HQ at IMG Studios in Stockley Park.
By significantly reducing the number of staff travelling to these tournaments, each remote production has saved approximately 87 tonnes of CO2.
Comment:
“We are always on the lookout for new technologies that will us get to net zero carbon by 2040,” said Richard Bunn, managing director of European Tour Productions.
“Hydrogen is the future of power distribution and has the added benefit of being more resilient than diesel units because they have fewer moving parts. Taking this leap, a first for our industry, at such a high-profile Rolex Series tournament is a big statement.”
Coming next:
The 2023 BMW PGA Championship, which takes place from 14th to 17th September, is set to be just the start for the DP World Tour, with Bunn confirming European Tour Productions plans to roll out hydrogen power across multiple tournaments next year.
