Hitherbest is celebrating the award of £20,000 in grant funding from the Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP), which will facilitate the purchase of a new, more energy-efficient punch press machine for its Telford factory.
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, BEEP has the primary aim of reducing the carbon emissions from business, as part of global efforts to combat global warming. One of the activities covered by the scheme is the procurement of energy efficient equipment that will lead to process improvements. The punch press machine that Hitherbest will now purchase is considerably more energy efficient that the 1995 model it will be replacing, with an estimated annual saving of 24.58 tonnes of CO2. In addition to the environmental benefit, the new punch press will also be more cost effective to run, with a projected saving of nearly £9,000 per annum.
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to set a legally-binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions, which the Government has committed to reaching by 2050. Although the country has made significant progress in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in recent decades, achieving a 43% reduction between 1990 and 2019, there remains a long way to go. The 25% decrease in emissions from the manufacturing sector seen between 2009 and 2017 was driven in-part by a reduction in energy intensity, which is consistent with BEEP’s investment in more energy efficient machinery.
The Hitherbest team is sincerely grateful to BEEP, and Worcestershire County Council who administer the scheme, for the funding awarded and the opportunity to continue improving the company’s capabilities. Hitherbest has maintained production throughout the coronavirus pandemic and business is brisk, with the number of enquiries received in 2020/21 matching pre-pandemic levels and the company looking to expand its workforce. The addition of a faster, more energy-efficient punch press will enable the company to provide an even better sheet metal fabrication service for its growing customer base.
