A new biomass boiler system has been installed at the Welsh Wildlife Centre.

The Austrian ‘Guntamatic Powerchip 50’ biomass boiler was installed by TRECO, a UK company, and was chosen for its ability to utilise a variety of fuel sources including common reed, which covers most of the reserve at the Teifi Marshes.

The reed helps support the business one of Wales’ Master Thatcher’s and now, also supply’s biomass which can be chipped to utilise in the biomass boiler.

The boiler will also run on woodchip coming from local Wildlife Trust reserve management.

Nathan Walton, Wildlife Trust Officer for Pembrokeshire and project manager for the installation of the boiler, said: ‘”After much research and development and support from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s Sustainability Development Fund, I am extremely pleased to see the boiler up and running. To be able to utilise biomass from various nature reserve management regimes is a great step to becoming more sustainable as an organisation and promoting the use of renewable energy to the wider public.”

The Wildlife Trust is now also able to claim the Renewable Heat Incentive which is a feed in tariff provided by the government for every unit of energy it produces. It is estimated that the incentive should have paid off the cost of the boiler by 2023.