One of the UK’s leading providers of bespoke stonework is reducing costs and carbon with the help of a £30,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales.
Pwllheli-based Cerrig Granite and Slate has installed solar panels totalling 70kW that are expected to cut energy costs by £10,000 each year and save 218 tonnes of CO2 over the 25-year lifetime of the system. The installation has been part-funded by the loan from the Development Bank following an introduction by Business Wales.
Cerrig Granite and Slate has 22 employees specialising in state -of-the-art stonework techniques, fabricating stonework for hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, offices and shops as well as headstones. The company already reuses 95% of its water using a circular water recycling system and is committed to reducing its carbon footprint with investment in modern machinery.
Director Hugo Were said: “One of the growth areas we see is in our headstone business. Most headstones in the UK are imported from India or China and are environmentally unsustainable. We’re therefore seeing an increasing number of customers choosing Cerrig because we use domestic stone that is more sustainable, traceable and ethical.”
“We’re doing all that we can to reduce our carbon footprint by introducing new technology and analysing our supply chain. This investment in renewable energy means that we will now be able to power up to 40% of our operations from solar.”
James Ryan is an Investment Executive with the Development Bank. He said: “We all have a responsibility to tackle climate change, and, with a volatile energy market, there's never been a better time to invest to save and make a positive change towards a greener future.
“Cerrig’s commitment to taking positive action is encouraging, especially given how carbon intensive the sector is. We’re therefore particularly pleased to have helped fund the installation of the solar panels as these will help to reduce carbon emissions and allow the business to save on future energy bills.”
Daniel Thomas is a Decarbonisation Advisor with Business Wales and is working closely with Cerrig. He said: “Cerrig plays a crucial role in the local economy and is determined to increase their sustainability as much as possible to improve their environmental impact. Being a Decarbonisation Advisor with Business Wales, I have been able to help identify methods of decarbonisation and sources of funding for the business to help lower their carbon footprint. It’s fantastic to have this collaboration with the Development Bank who provide an excellent service and sustainable sources of funding for SMEs to lower their carbon emissions and energy costs across Wales.”
The loan for Cerrig Granite and Slate came from the £500 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund. Financed by Welsh Government, the Fund is for deals between £25,000 and £10 million. Loans, mezzanine finance, and equity investments are available for Welsh businesses with terms of up to 15 years.
