Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale makes film history with zero-emission power

Joanne Froggatt, known for her role in Downton Abbey, has noted growing concern about the environmental impact of the film and television industry. She believes studios are increasingly focused on becoming more sustainable, and highlighted ‘The Grand Finale‘ as a positive example of this trend.

Beyond simply reducing waste by reusing and donating items, and using electric and hybrid vehicles – common practices in other productions – this historical drama went further by installing a hydrogen fuel cell, a unique and forward-thinking solution.

Instead of traditional diesel generators – which create pollution and a lot of noise – this film set used a hydrogen cell to power everything during filming.

A ‘unit base’ is the area on a movie or TV set where trailers, offices, and other support facilities are set up. It’s essentially the central home base for the cast and crew during filming.

This eco-friendly generator produces electricity using hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the only emission. On a typical film set using around 3,000 kilowatt-hours of power each week, it could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 2924.73 kilograms weekly.

Shows like Bridgerton on Netflix and Springwatch on the BBC have also started using this new technology. It’s also being adopted by popular events like the Latitude and Isle of Wight music festivals.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions, this hydrogen generator operates much more quietly than a typical diesel generator. It can also recharge batteries and electric vehicles.

A new behind-the-scenes look at the Downton Abbey finale reveals the cast’s appreciation for the show’s eco-friendly practices. Paul Giamatti was particularly impressed with how well they worked, and Jim Carter noted how simple it was to incorporate them into daily production.

The production team included a special environmental group, with Eco Advisor Alex Cheeseman leading the charge, to manage their sustainability initiatives.

Learn about the efforts to make the Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale production more environmentally friendly in the video above, including how they used a hydrogen generator on set.

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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is out now in cinemas.