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The Belvoir estate in Leicestershire has a significant exposure to fossil fuel and carbon markets.

Based on a recent audit undertaken by Susenco, the estate spends 10% of its annual income on direct energy use in buildings, vehicles and equipment, and indirect energy use, through nitrogen fertilizer.

Susenco’s Solutions Director, Dr Mark Hinnells points out that the raw ingredient of nitrogen fertilizer is natural gas, and fertilizer prices are strongly influenced by energy prices. And there is lots of evidence that energy prices will rise faster than inflation over the longer term. In addition, adds Mark, there are now significant price incentives to encourage renewable energy, through feed-In tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive.

We have developed a strategy for the estate to mitigate the risk that energy might become a much more significant business cost to the estate. The strategy includes a range of approaches, and business plans are close to completion on a biomass boiler for the castle, wind, and hydro projects at Belvoir. Installation of many of these technologies will take place over the next 24 months. Collectively these projects will turn a business risk into an opportunity, by generating energy on the estate. And the Duke and Duchess of Rutland have set the objective of becoming a ‘zero net carbon emissions’ estate.

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