As well as reducing emissions, the project will allow Bernard Matthews to make fuel savings against current costs. The dry heat biomass systems also deliver a number of other benefits due to the improved circulation of heat, including reduced ammonia levels, reduced ventilation requirements and increased litter quality.
The project will create around 51 jobs in the local area including nine full time permanent positions. Funding has been secured by Lumicity from the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) via its Energy Saving Investments (ESI) fund. Lumicity specialises in developing renewable energy solutions. As well as introducing funding, it identified the sites, designed the project and advised Bernard Matthews on issues such as tendering and negotiation. The company will also manage the project over the next 20 years.
GIB is the cornerstone investor in the Equitix managed ESI fund, which is investing £12m in the project, mobilising an additional £12.5m of additional private sector capital, from the Equitix Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF).
“Sustainability is central to our long term business strategy” said David Joll, executive chairman of Bernard Matthews. “We’re already generating a large proportion of our energy needs from other renewable sources including solar and wind and with the addition of biomass boilers on our farms, we’re well placed to be generating 100 per cent of our energy sustainably by 2016.”
Vince Cable, UK business secretary, added that the government set up the UK Green Investment Bank to kick start investment in renewable energy technology projects such as the Bernard Matthews installation and that more companies are likely to follow. He said that investment will have a significant green impact by reducing carbon emissions and benefits local economies by creating green jobs across three counties.
For additional information:
