Warwickshire has become the first professional cricket club in the country to operate an all-electric fleet of grounds equipment to maintain its pitches.
The Club has agreed a new partnership with Dennis Mowers to supply a range of 10 battery-powered lawnmowers for its Edgbaston pitch and Colts training ground.
Replacing the outgoing petrol versions, the state-of-the-art grounds kit will save the Club around £4,500 a year in fuel costs and reduce its CO2 emissions by more than seven tonnes annually.
The move is all part of Warwickshire’s Edgbaston for Sustainability pledge and an ambition to make the iconic stadium net zero by 2030.
It follows a successful trial of the all-electric grounds machinery used to prepare Edgbaston’s Go Green Game last September, which was the first sustainable international match of its kind.
A report following the England vs New Zealand IT20 match found total carbon emissions were reduced by 33.7% against a comparable major match day in 2022.
‘This is a great opportunity to work with a leading supplier in the sports turf industry who can supply everything we need to help us prepare international standard surfaces.
‘With two mowers we can cut the outfield two ways on one battery charge so there are certainly no issues with ‘range anxiety’!
‘We’ve been using the mowers since July and one of the obvious benefits is how quiet they are which means less noise intrusion for events or corporate clients who are using our spaces to entertain guests.’
GARY BARWELL
Edgbaston’s head of sports turf
Edgbaston’s sustainability manager, Lydia Carrington, said the Club wanted to meet environmental goals, such as reducing carbon emissions, running costs and noise pollution, while giving Gary and his team state-of-the-art equipment.
‘Swapping to electric grounds equipment reduces our carbon footprint, contributes to cleaner air, reduced soil and water contamination and reduced noise pollution.
‘This transition underscores the Edgbaston’s role as an industry leader in adopting sustainable practices.’
LYDIA CARRINGTON
Edgbaston’s sustainability manager
The new partnership with Dennis Mowers runs until at least the end of 2027.
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