Wind power earns smokery thousands a year

The turbine, which cost £260,000 to install is freeing up the extra cash annually for Tregida through eliminating its energy bills and generating income from exporting spare electricity and the government’s Feed-in-Tariff scheme.

“Energy production for the first year was 210,000kWh, which is slightly over the 203,000kWh they ​[installers Hallmark Power] predicted,”​ said Short.

“We earn a bit of money from exporting energy – between £1,000 a month if it’s windy and £200 a month if it’s not so windy – and there is also income from the Feed-in-Tariff and savings from using the power,”​ he said.

Second turbine​

The scheme had proved so successful that the company, which he set up 14 years’ ago with his wife Coralie, aims to erect a second turbine at its base in Trelash, Cornwall, he added.

“The business has a 65kW power demand because of refrigeration requirements, with our 40-foot freezer and a walk-in chiller that have to be running 24-hours-a-day, 365 days a year.​

“With a good wind, the endurance turbine just about does it, but we will be installing a second turbine which should cover our needs completely …​

“… In the smoking process itself we are using a kerosene burner for heat, but this will probably be replaced by an electrical source once the second turbine is up and running.”​

Green credentials​

Mark Chamberlain, sales manager at Hallmark Power, said an increasing range of businesses believed wind power was a suitable energy source for their business needs and their green credentials.

“Tregida has an excellent business model which is further enhanced by using wind power for its production needs. As well as reducing or eliminating power costs, using turbines also generates useful extra income through the Feed-in-Tariff.​

“Providing you have the correct location in terms of wind, grid connection and planning requirements, turbines can offer a solid 20-year investment with excellent returns, as well as doing your bit for the environment,”​ he said.

Tregida supplies a range of smoked foods, from mackerel and salmon to duck and chicken, to customers including Budgens, Waitrose and Spar UK.

New webinar​

Food Manufacture Group is holding a new webinar: Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme: switch onto savings​ on September 18 at 1100 GMT.

Speakers will include Martin Adams, ESOS team leader, Energy Efficiency Deployment Office, Steve Reeson, Food and Drink Federation head of climate change and energy policy, Jes Rutter, md, JRP Solutions and a representative from Arla Foods. Reserve your free place here​.

The webinar will conclude with a question and answer session and you can put your question in advance to our expert panel by emailing zvpunry.fgbarf@jeoz.pbz​.