Business hots up for Helston based biomass boilers firm

ONE of Cornwall’s leading installers of biomass boilers says it has
increased its turnover from £150,000 to £1.2 million and trebled its
staff numbers in the last 12 months.

Wendron Biomass cites the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive
(RHI), which offers financial rewards for investing in renewable heat,
as the trigger for this steep growth.

Wendron Biomass was one of the UK’s first biomass businesses when it
launched 12 years ago as a new venture for Helston-based Wendron Stoves.

Driven by director Nathan Ward’s enthusiasm for the technology, the
company started bringing high quality biomass boilers from Germany and
Austria to homes and businesses in Cornwall in 2002.

Having installed around 80 biomass boilers in Cornwall in the past
year, the family business has increased its staff numbers from four to
12, as well as expanding its pool of freelance plumbers.

The company has reported significant growth among Cornwall’s small
businesses, with commercial clients including St Agnes’ Rose in Vale
Country House Hotel and Courtlands Care Home, near Penzance.

Wendron Biomass says it is increasingly responding to interest from
Devon and Dorset and is aiming to build its client base across the South
West region over the coming months.

The business is preparing to open a new showroom at Water-Ma-Trout
Industrial Estate, Helston within the next two months. This will offer
an additional showcase for its products and is heated by a biomass
boiler system.

Wendron Biomass director Nathan Ward said: “My family’s business has
been selling and installing wood burning appliances for nearly 27 years
and we are proud of our history and reputation and we’re hugely
passionate about the quality products and service we offer.

“When we expanded into biomass, we were at least five years ahead of
the game. I saw what was happening in the German and Austrian markets
and with the growing concerns about fossil fuel running costs here in
the UK, I could see real potential for these systems here as well.”

The RHI is a financial support programme that rewards businesses and
individuals for heating their buildings with renewable energy.

The Government introduced the non-domestic RHI nearly three years ago, while the
programme was opened up to homeowners through the launch of the domestic
RHI in April 2014.

Those who join the scheme and abide by its rules, receive quarterly
payments for seven years for domestic and 20 years for commercial
installations based on the amount of clean, green renewable heat their
system produces.

Sales director Gary Hawkins said: “With so many of us being off-grid,
Cornwall is a growth area for biomass. Many of our clients are driven by
wanting to be free from fluctuating oil prices, as well as being
attracted to the benefits offered through the RHI.

We work a lot with farmers, holiday lets and small businesses, but
despite the growth we’ve seen over the last year we still feel there is a
lack of awareness of the RHI and the benefits of biomass among
homeowners.

People may be put off by the up-front investment, but many of clients
will get their money back within four or five years and then start to
see significant savings.”