A fuel cell generator that will reduce costs and carbon emissions has been installed for free at Edinburgh Napier University.

The BlueGEN unit that has been installed at the university’s Merchiston campus converts natural gas to heat and electricity around the clock.

Each unit is said to cut CO2 emissions by 3.6 tonnes a year.

The machine could also make money through a government Feed-In-Tariff scheme, where energy users can get money back from the low carbon electricity they generate.

This is said to be a “landmark deal” for a wider programme due to be launched soon.