Barons Eden invests £1.5 million into biomass heating project
Award-winning Hotel and Spa Collection, Barons Eden has completed a project that will reduce its CO2 emissions by over 40%.
In partnership with Reheat, a leading provider of renewable heat and power consultancy, a new Biomass heating system has been installed at Hoar Cross Hall one of Europe's largest spas … and is set to save over 1,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year.
The Barons Eden Collection houses Hoar Cross Hall Spa Hotel in Staffordshire, and Eden Hall Day Spa in Nottinghamshire - In early 2019, the Board of Directors at Barons Eden decided to look for more sustainable energy alternatives for supplying the heat demand at Hoar Cross Hall Spa Hotel, as part of an initiative to reduce the current carbon footprint emitted by traditional kerosene boilers.
Hoar Cross Hall, situated within 43 acres of historic woodland and picturesque gardens the Spa spans over 85,000 sq ft and hosts a wealth of facilities, including; a Saltwater Vitality Pool, a Hydrotherapy Pool, Nordic Heat and Ice Suite and 104 stylish suites and rooms.
Through the partnership with Reheat, it was determined that the year-round heat demand could be met by locally sourced biomass. Thus, Hoar Cross Hall has invested £1.5 million into a 1MW biomass heating system comprising two state-of-the-art 500kW biomass boilers and is set to reduce carbon emissions at Hoar Cross Hall by over 55%. The wood for fuel will be sustainably sourced from the National Forest, less than 20 miles from the Spa hotel.
The use of sustainable woodchip promotes positive woodland management by utilising low-grade timber that would otherwise have gone to waste. Meanwhile, stimulating woodland management improves biodiversity and climate change mitigation, as well as encouraging landowners to plant new trees, says Barons Eden. The hope is for Hoar Cross Hall to provide its guests with year-round reliable and sustainable heat as part of a premium Hotel and Spa experience.
“Another milestone has been reached at Hoar Cross Hall, as we see the completion of our Biomass facility, one of our key company initiatives is to work towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Biomass heat source has allowed us to take a huge step forward to achieving our goal,” said Phil Murphy, Managing Director at Hoar Cross Hall about the project.
Being one of the largest Spa Hotels in Europe, its’ essential that we keep ahead of the curve when it comes to our energy consumption and impact on the environment, being in the heart of the National Forest, Biomass was the obvious choice. We have been extremely proud to work with Reheat on this project and drive positive change to the business.”