Welsh Biomass Business Booming

Being in the right place at the right time, has contributed to the success of Pembrokeshire BioEnergy, however there is no denying that Paul and Emma Ratcliffe have worked hard and spotted opportunities to get to where they are today.

The couple were farming beef, sheep and arable, alongside running a contracting business. However, in 2002 farming as they knew it, was changing.

“We were losing a block of arable land due to the development of a local holiday resort, now known as Bluestone National Park Resort, and the prospective influx of a large number of regular visitors made me question whether livestock farming was still going to be feasible,” explains Paul Ratcliffe, director of Pembrokeshire BioEnergy Ltd.

See also: Renewable business ideas

“The change made us re-evaluate our options and the prompt from the developer of Bluestone asking whether we knew anything about energy crops, got me thinking.”

Paul began researching renewables – looking at energy crops and biomass boilers, pellets and wood chip supply, visiting other countries and talking to people in the industry, and in 2003 they started their new journey.

“We planted 40-acres of miscanthus and formed a co-operative with Graham Perkins who came on-board as a fellow director. The interest in biomass was growing, helped by the WEBS grant (Wood Energy Business Scheme), and bigger installations where starting to appear which needed bulk deliveries.

“Consequently, we started importing wood pellets from Ireland to support the demand. To start with we used an external haulier until one day in 2008 when we heard that Welsh Biofuels had gone into administration.

“Overnight a large contract became available as no other companies were delivering pellets in bulk in Wales, and so we stepped up and brought a bulk delivery lorry, employed a driver and formed Pembrokeshire BioEnergy Ltd.

“You could say we were in the right place at the right time, but we have gone on to purchase seven lorries and employee 13 full-time staff, plus fitters and a transport manager,” says Paul.

Business growth – boiler installations and servicing

For the Ratcliffe’s the current timber prices are having an impact on the attractiveness of biomass, but when dealing with a commodity, the supply and demand fluctuation will always be a factor they will have to contend with.

However, the couple has spotted opportunities within the sector that has allowed the business to grow.

See also: Assessing farm assets for farm diversification

“Biomass boiler installation is an area of the business that has grown for us. When we started out with installations we made the conscious decision to stick with one manufacturer. This has meant we have been able to up-skill our staff and ensure we can continue to support our customers offering excellent back-up and knowledge as well as continued servicing and maintenance packages.

“At the moment, we are frequently getting phone calls from people who are looking for someone to service and repair boilers due to other installers leaving the market and we therefore see this as an area of growth.”

Paul explains that since starting the biomass business the farm has contracted in size. The family still run a flock of sheep and operate the contracting business on a smaller scale, but the biomass business is now their key focus.

“The farm has changed a lot in 20 years and will continue to evolve as our children grow and chose their career paths, but what we have and are creating is a platform they can build on if they wish,” says Paul.

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