Milton Keynes factory installs biomass heating system to slash carbon emissions

Reedbut Group's Milton Keynes manufacturing facility has installed a comprehensive biomass heating system that reduces its annual energy requirements to less than 10% of what a comparable factory would typically consume.

Reedbut designs and manufactures sustainable corrugated packaging solutions for customers worldwide.

The renewable heating system, designed and installed by Treco, centres around a 300kW biomass boiler paired with a 12-tonne pellet silo and thermal store.

The installation provides low-carbon heat throughout the factory and warehouse whilst dramatically reducing the site's environmental impact, according to Reedbut.

The biomass boiler forms part of an integrated energy ecosystem that maximises efficiency through heat recirculation and air reuse.

The system includes a temperature-maintained thermal store, heat-exchange and fan units that convert stored heat into warm air, and air-filtration towers that capture and recirculate warm air from machinery.

Connected waste management systems further enhance sustainability. A trim-extraction setup from Impact Air Systems efficiently collects fibre waste, whilst a semi-automatic baler from Capital Compactors processes waste offcuts into half-tonne bales. FuturFirst provides end-to-end recycling support, collecting and processing the bales.

The result is an annual energy requirement of approximately 150,000kWh - a fraction of conventional factory heating demands. The system cuts carbon emissions equivalent to removing six to seven cars from the road annually.

The Froling PT4e boiler, supplied by global biomass technology leader Froling, ensures the system remains compliant through 2048 and already approaches 2050 decarbonisation targets.

Using CRREM benchmarks, the company found that a comparable gas system would fall out of alignment with climate targets by 2034.

Treco, one of the UK's leading biomass heating specialists, provided comprehensive support from initial design and fabrication through to installation, commissioning and staff training. Froling recently won the Plus X "Best Brand of the Year 2025" award for high-efficiency biomass technology.