The owners of the London Eye have announced they are investing £12.5 million in the tourist attraction to give it an environmental make-over.
The upgrade to the 135m tall wheel's includes making the heating and ventilation systems more energy-efficient and reduce the carbon footprint of the iconic London landmark.
Each one of the giant wheel's 32 capsules will be removed at a time and taken away to workshops in Worcester for its upgrade, the project will improve their functionality, capabilities and longevity.
The programme will start this summer and engineers say the programme of work will be completed in time for the London 2012 Olympics, and will not interrupt normal operation of the attraction.
The wheel, which rotates at a speed of 0.6 mph, can carry 800 passengers per revolution – the equivalent to 11 London red double-decker buses.
Planning for this project began in 2005, following the removal and thorough analysis of a capsule to examine the effects of five years of business and explore what could be done to improve both the experience for visitors and the longevity and the carbon footprint of the London Eye.
A number of upgrades will be made to each capsule in addition to a minor visual facelift. As a direct result of customer feedback, the existing heating and ventilation system (HVAC) will be upgraded to a more efficient, environmentally friendly one.
In addition, one of the upgraded capsules will have increased technological functions, which all other capsules will be built to support in the future. The advanced capsule will include four ceiling mounted screens and enhanced multi-media and wi-fi capabilities enabling the capsule to provide music and on-screen visuals.
David Sharpe, Divisional Director of London Midway attractions at Merlin Entertainments Group, owner of the London Eye, said: “This investment will ensure the London Eye operates at maximum efficiency and is cutting down its carbon footprint well into the future.’
And Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain added: “This is exactly what we need to help get people excited about our country and what Britain has to offer to both domestic and international visitors. With the Olympics just three years away, this is the kind of investment that we hope to be seeing across the whole country.”
As each 10-tonne capsule is removed, it will travel down the Thames to Silvertown in London’s docklands where it will be loaded onto a truck and transported to a workshop in Worcester to be upgraded before returning to the London Eye.
A non-operational capsule will take position on the London Eye until the final capsule is returned. This project will serve to reduce downtime and maintenance on the London Eye though it will continue to close for a short period in January to perform routine maintenance.
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