Sainsbury’s enjoys the renewable benefits of biomass boilers
One of the key futures boosting the carbon-saving credentials of the Sainsbury’s supermarkets in Dartmouth and Alnwick are the 450 kW biomass boilers supplied by Remeha. They are the main source of renewable energy in these stores and use wood pellets made from forested trees.
These boilers have highly sensitive controls to minimise the production of excess heat, so there is no need for a buffer vessel.
At the Dartmouth store, the biomass boiler helps reduce the carbon footprint by 20% and achieve at least 10% renewable-energy production on site. The store also has two 21 m-high wind turbines that generate electricity for the checkouts.
The boilers at both stores were incorporated into containerised plant rooms by energy contractor Platignum Environmental Services.
David Penfold, Sainsbury’s sustainability and innovation manager, says, ‘Sainsbury’s is always researching new technologies that will make our stores more sustainable. Using biomass boilers, along with other initiatives, has increased the energy efficiency of several of our stores. As a result of the successful trials in Alnwick and Dartmouth, we are also considering which other stores would benefit from the installation of biomass boilers.’
