The hospital is hoping to reduce carbon emissions and its electricity bills by agreeing to allow green energy firm Ecotricty to build the turbine and supply its power needs.

Ecotricty has already signed up a number of private businesses to similar contracts, including Sainsbury’s and Ford, but said QEH is the first public sector body to get on board.

Ecotricity managing director Mr Dale Vince said: “The QEH is blazing a trail which we believe will very soon become a well-trodden path. The public sector should be leading the way in the fight against climate change, and the biggest step that actually can be taken in that regard, is to change where electricity comes from.”

The proposal is for a “large-scale wind turbine”, but details of size and exact location within the hospital site have not yet been finalised, the Lynn News was told.

Planning permission will have to be secured before the turbine can be installed but wind monitoring will be required first, which should also reveal the level of savings the turbine could generate, a spokesman said.

Under the agreement Ecotricity will plan, finance and build a state-of-the-art wind turbine in the hospital grounds, reducing the need for conventional power.

QEH interim chief executive Rowena Barnes said: “We are fully committed to finding ways of reducing our overheads and limiting our impact on the environment. Every pound we can save on electricity costs is, potentially, another pound we can spend on the care of our patients.”