Hoar Cross Hall has invested £1.5 million in the installation of a new biomass heating system, which is set to reduce the hotel and spa’s CO2 emissions by over 40%.

At the start of 2019, the Board of Directors at Barons Eden – Hoar Cross Hall’s parent company – took the decision to look for more sustainable energy alternatives for supplying the heat demand at Hoar Cross Hall Spa Hotel, an initiative to reduce the current carbon footprint emitted by traditional kerosene boilers.

In consultation with renewable energy provider Reheat, it was determined that the year-round heat demand could be met by locally sourced biomass.

As a result, Hoar Cross Hall has invested £1.5 million into a 1MW biomass heating system comprising two 500kW biomass boilers. The wood 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. Stimulating woodland management improves biodiversity and climate change mitigation, as well as encouraging landowners to plant new trees.

Phil Murphy, managing director at Hoar Cross Hall, commented: “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.

“Being one of the largest Spa Hotels in Europe, it is 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.”