Besblock investsina £3.2menergyplant

MATTHEWPANTER matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

Construction company Besblock is on course to massivelyreduceits carbonemissions thanks to a£3.2m investment in a newenergyplant.

TheTelford-based firm created thefacility aboutsix monthsago as part of itscommitmenttoloweringemissions further. Theplant usesthe lowest gradeofwaste wood availableand is settohelpthe company reduce itsemissions by 65% andsave2,200 tons of CO2inthe first12months.

Besblock manufactures concrete blocks forthe construction industry andhas increasinglybecome synonymouswithefforts to enable the sector to reduce itscarbonfootprint viaits rangeofproducts

It haspreviouslybeenhighly commendedinthe NetZerocategory at theMidlandsConstructing Excellence awards forits workon Project80–ahousing development in Birmingham that will be among the firsttomeetthe Future Homes Standard.The company, which hasbeencelebrating 50 yearsin business, works with some of the UK’s leadinghouse builders and construction companies. It hasexpanded considerably recently with extensiveinvestmentinits facilities andprocesses

SalesdirectorMartinFulwell said:“We have grownatafastpace and, whileweare pleasedwiththe path we’reon, we haven’t lost sight of keepingour carbon footprintas lowaspossiblealong theway

“Wehaveinvested millionsinto thebusinesstoreduceour environmental impact andhaveadedicated sustainabledesignteamthatis helpingtoprove that traditional construction canstill be green.

“Weare delightedwiththe performance ofthe plant sofar.Weare predicting a65% reductioninCO2 emissionswhere thebiomass plant hasreplaced natural gasasthe primary fuel.Our fuel is classified as C Gradewaste wood whichisthe lowestgrade ofwaste wood available.

“There arelotsofcompanies in Telfordthatneed to disposeoftheir wood wasteand throughour plant, we arecreatingalocal chaintoensure itsre-use effectively in theproductionofenergy.”

Foundedin June 1972,and owned by Andrew Huxley,Besblockbegan producingconcretebuilding blocks at HalesfieldinTelford,which at thetimewas a fledglingnew town Thecompany became akey supply chainpartnerofthe TelfordDevelopment Corporation.