Highland biomass heat specialist HWEnergy (HWE) said yesterday it had won a £2million contract to provide heating systems to 10 NHS Highland sites this year.
With more than 50% of energy usage in the UK used in heating, the burning of biofuels can offer a lower cost, low carbon producing alternative. The Fort William firm said the deal to provide the cabins could reduce NHS Highland energy costs by around £1.5millon a year – or 20% of its total energy costs – when combined with the other biomass installations already in place.
Gordon MacDonald, energy and sustainability manager at NHS Highland, said: “Our objective is to reach a target of 60% of NHS Highland’s total heat load being delivered from biomass. When this milestone is achieved, it will reduce the carbon emissions of the organisation by over 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.”
The NHS has commissioned 12 heat projects across 10 sites, with a further six biomass projects in the pipeline. The HWE installations are planned to be in operation by the end of this year.
Bruno Berardelli, managing director at HWE, said: “Switching to biomass heating makes absolute sense for NHS Highland. It has seen costs rise from £5.2million to £8.4million in the last three years.”
He added that biomass forms part of a larger plan to use renewable energy sources in every one of the 175 buildings in the NHS Highland estate.
He said: “It’s extremely encouraging to see an organisation of this size making such a commitment to the ongoing provision of heat from renewable sources.”
HWE, which has annual turnover of £7million, employs 50 people. The firm has completed more than 200 biomass heat projects since it was launched 10 years ago.
