Record breaking winter - more renewable heat supplied than ever before by Silvapower (April 2012)
We now have over 20 boilers we are supplying wood chip to on a regular basis in South Yorkshire.
Having made significant efforts over the last few months to help clients get the boilers operating well and running full-time, we have had the busiest winter ever! Given how warm it has been, and how relativly little heating fuel has been needed, this is a sign of the Silvapower's expansion over the last few months.
We are particualrly pleased with how we have worked with Rotherham to get all of their boilers - which hadn't run sucesfully for many years - operating well and generating renewable heat full time.
Silvapower extend relationship with Sheffield City Council - new contract signed (March 2012)
Silvapower's association with Sheffield dates back to 2004 and we are proud to the the wood chip supplier to the City's boilers. We have just signed a new contract which cements this relationship for a further period, and as part of this we will be developing the Kettlebridge Road depot in the city.
RHI Payments Increase (March 2012)
Good news for the renewable heat industry!
Ofgem is obliged to anually adjust the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs in line with retail prices index (RPI). This means the RHI is due to increase by 4.8% on April 1st 2012.
The new tariffs now pay up to 8.3p for boilers under 200kW.
New purpose-built wood fuel storage barn completed at Barnsley (Oct 2011).
Silvapower's new, purpose built woodfuel storage barn at Ringstone Farm, Barnsley is now complete.
This large barn has concrete floors to prevent contamination of wood chip, and enables us to store several thousand cubic metres of finished wood chip. This is a significant development at Ringstone Farm, where we now have stoarge space for approx 10,000t of solid timber, and a wide range of equipment.
Silvapower joins up with Forest Fuels - additional wood fuel expertise and backup (4th August 2011).
Silvapower has teamed up with Forest Fuels Ltd (www.forestfuels.co.uk), a very similar small business based in SW England supplying Premium Grade wood fuel. The two businesses have been working closely since December last year and the sharing of expertise and resources has been of significant benefit.
Last Friday, Forest Fuels Ltd bought Silvapower and the two businesses will operate as sister companies. Silvapower will continue as a separate local business in South Yorkshire, running from local depots with local staff.
Forest Fuels’ has wide experience with Premium Grade woodfuel and there is much to be gained for Silvapower and its customers through sharing these. The two businesses are very similar, although Forest Fuels is slightly larger and more developed. Founded in 2006 they employ 8 people and supply around 40,000m3 of woodfuel per year to 150 customers, using local woodlands to supply local boilers. As well as woodchip, Forest Fuels supplies wood pellets, undertakes consultancy studies and offers woodfuel advice & guidance.
Silvapower will remain a local business. We will continue to employ local people and contribute to the South Yorkshire economy by supporting the local timber businesses that supply it from the region’s many woodlands. Existing customer service and management arrangements with Jason Gallagher and Dave Sefton will remain the same, alongside the local supply depots. Ted Talbot and Richard Wagstaff will both continue an involvement on a consultancy basis.
We look forward to building on our relationships with all our existing clients in South Yorkshire, as well as developing new ones. We will continue to work with existing partners such as the South Yorkshire Forest and Sheffield Wildlife Trust on projects such as Grenoside Woods, Barnsley Schools for the Future and the Kettlebridge depot to help make local biomass fuel supply in the region an all-round success.
New screener purchased, to improve quality of wood fuel (March 2011).
Silvapower has purchased a new flat bed screener, specifically designed for wood fuel production, to enable the screening out of oversize pieces of wood chip. this enables us to widen our sources of feedstock material, whilst at the ame time improving the quality of our finished product.