Council appoints Rural Energy for £1.3m biomass contract

Public Sector Wed, Mar 23, 2016 9:14 AM

Council appoints Rural Energy for £1.3m biomass contract

Leading biomass energy provider Rural Energy has completed the installation of nine biomass heating systems as part of a £1.3 million project with Buckinghamshire County Council.

With all the systems now online, the sites are already benefitting from reduced heating costs whilst the Council is taking advantage of an additional income stream from the government’s RHI scheme.

Offering a combined annual saving of more than £30,000 on the authority’s energy bill, the nine new biomass boilers will also generate a yearly income of £150,000 from the RHI, or £3,000,000 over the 20-year life of the scheme. This means that the boilers will pay for themselves three times over during their lifespan and reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 10,400 tonnes.

Phase one of the project comprised the installation of five innovative, stand-alone Heat Pods incorporating four 199kW and one 150kW Herz Firematic boilers, into locations such as Buckinghamshire County Museum and Green Park, a management training centre.  Heat Pods are a compact, prefabricated ‘all-in-one’ structure, housing a plant room and fuel store, making them perfect for installation on sites where there is no room for a new boiler system within the existing building. Phase two of the project has seen the retrofit of three 100kW and one 150kW Herz Firematic boilers into existing plant rooms in a number of schools throughout the county.

Rural Energy was awarded the contract as part of the council’s framework for biomass, which is open to all qualifying public sector bodies within Buckinghamshire as well as members of the Central Buying Consortium (CBC). The framework simplifies the procurement process by providing access to a proven specification model and a quality-checked list of approved suppliers. Working alongside energy consultants from Jacobs UK Ltd, Rural Energy was appointed as main contractor for the project thanks to its extensive industry experience, quality product offering and the reliable technical support it can provide on a local level.   

Warren Whyte, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning at Buckinghamshire County Council, commented: “This project takes a sensible long-term view, combining responsible energy consumption and supporting British sources of energy. We're saving on heating costs and generating an income for the county, which is good news for our residents.”

As the main contractor, Rural Energy has been responsible for designing the new biomass systems, as well as the supply, delivery and installation of the boilers and Heat Pods.  Now that all the boilers are installed and commissioned, Rural Energy have also taken up a four-year service and maintenance contract to ensure the smooth running of the new systems, with an extension review at the end of this contracted period.  This is in addition to two more service contracts Rural Energy has secured with the council, relating to existing Herz heating systems installed five years ago.

Paul Clark, Managing Director at Rural Energy, commented: “This has been a great project for us to work on and we are thrilled that the final commissioning works have now been completed.  Biomass energy offers impressive carbon and financial savings to public sector bodies, but with time constraints and budget pressures, navigating the procurement process can be off-putting for many organisations.

“Being part of the council’s biomass framework means that applicable organisations in the Bucks area will now be able to access biomass energy much more easily – without the complicated quality control checks that come with a normal tender process.”

Featured News

Specification news
Forbo evolves its sustainability credentials with new...

With sustainability one of the core values at Forbo Flooring Systems, the...

Read More >>

Specification news
Composite – the perfect timber alternative for the...

Timber has traditionally been the material of choice for councils when it comes to...

Read More >>

BUILDING PRODUCT LIBRARY - LATEST BROCHURES

Novantica - Cement Free Restoration  Brochure

Novantica - Cement F...
By Fassa Bortolo

Download Now >>

Fassatherm System - Product Catalogue  Brochure

Fassatherm System -...
By Fassa Bortolo

Download Now >>

Fassarend System - Product Catalogue  Brochure

Fassarend System - P...
By Fassa Bortolo

Download Now >>

Fassalime System - Product Catalogue  Brochure

Fassalime System - P...
By Fassa Bortolo

Download Now >>

BUILDING PRODUCT DIRECTORY - LATEST PRODUCTS

Straightcurve®
Straightcurve®

Straightcurve® – headquartered in Australia, is renowned for high-end innovative garden edging,...

Read More >>

RLG600 Access Flooring System
RLG600 Access Flooring System

The Kingspan RLG600 raised access floor panel is intended for light office use and is capable of...

Read More >>

RHG600 Simploc
RHG600 Simploc

Kingspan RHG600 Simploc is the heavy grade floor system, capable of handling up to a 12kN/m2...

Read More >>

CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS - LATEST VIDEOS

Discover the first-ever reference book for stone wool insulated sandwich panels
Discover the first-ever reference book for stone wool insulated sandwich panels

“Building with stone wool insulated sandwich panels” written by Professor Imperadori, is now...

Watch Now >>

Portakabin | Installation at the iconic Admiralty Arch, London
Portakabin | Installation at the iconic Admiralty Arch, London

Portakabin | Installation at the iconic Admiralty Arch, London

Watch Now >>