Weobley Schools
Weobley Primary School and Weobley High School are set for a warm winter after a state-of-the-art biomass boiler has been fitted ahead of the colder months.
Weobley schools warm to new environmentally friendly boiler
Background
Weobley was the first school in the UK to be heated by wood approximately 25 years ago. A 350kW Dan Stoker wood chip boiler provided heat to both the primary school and, via pre-insulated underground heat main, also to the larger secondary school.
When the original wood chip boiler was installed the project received a lot of attention and was seen as pioneering, using local wood chip fuel with an automatically feed boiler system. The original biomass boiler operated for around 24 years until the cost of maintenance and repair became prohibitive. The school and Herefordshire County Council decided that the old wood boiler needed to be replaced with a modern wood chip boiler.
Project
The old boiler was replaced by a state-of-the-art high efficiency biomass boiler (Hargassner 330kW) which is expected to use 30% less wood chips for the same amount of heat. BBSM completed the boiler design and hydraulic arrangement.
Improvements in the system includes a plate heat exchanger, hydraulically isolating the new biomass system from the old school heating system. The project also included the installation of accumulator tanks with a combined water storage of 6,000 litres. This substantially reduces the amount of boiler cycling and helps maintains high boiler efficiency even in milder weather.
Outcome
The project was a design and build installation carried out by BBSM under full CDM regulations.
The project started in the second week in January and was commissioned and handed over to the school 6 weeks later. The new biomass boiler was heating the primary and secondary school from mid-February 2024, 25 years after the original wood boiler was installed.
The new biomass boiler was officially unveiled by newly elected Green MP Ellie Chowns at a special ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday 27 September, during her tour of the primary and secondary schools.
Testimonial
“It’s incredibly important that our students are able to study in the best possible learning environment. This new modern, efficient and affordable heating system will bring fantastic benefits to both schools by providing a warm environment for our staff and pupils throughout the colder months. We will also see a significant reduction in our energy costs, resulting in huge savings on our heating bills. I would like to thank Herefordshire Council for funding the new boiler and managing the installation project and also thanks to BBSM Ltd. of Tiverton, for installing it quickly and efficiently.”
Why Choose BBSM?
Experienced Engineers
We have a large pool of engineers with many years of experience within the biomass industry, working on a wide range of commercial and industrial biomass boiler makes.
Nationwide Coverage
We have engineers covering the whole of the Great Britain, and service and maintain projects throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
HETAS accredited
We are fully registered under HETAS MCS040, one of the first companies to be so. Our HETAS registration covers all makes of biomass boiler.
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Installation of 2 No. Hargassner 330kW wood pellet boilers to replace old gas-fired boilers.
Background
Lime Kiln is a popular sports centre and public swimming pool providing recreation for the community of Royal Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire. The pool and buildings were heated with two gas boilers each rated at 400kW each which provided hot water for the showers in the changing rooms.
Wiltshire Council (WC) has committed to being a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. The gas boilers at Lime Kiln were over 20 years old and, as part of the decarbonisation programme, it was decided to replace the aging gas boilers with new state-of-the-art biomass pellet boilers.
Project
Outcome
BBSM Ltd selected two Hargassner 330kW pellet boilers due to their high quality and efficiency and because of their compact nature meaning the installation was possible with the existing plant room.
The whole project was completed within four months and now operates 100% on biomass, with no gas boilers being present.
An analysis of the first 12 months of operation showed that the primary energy usage for heating the site dropped by a staggering 50%, making large savings for Wiltshire Council. In 2023 BBSM were awarded the long-term service and maintenance contract for the entire biomass portfolio of the council.
