Cornish fuel distributor Mitchell & Webber has been presented with the President’s Award at the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Awards in Coventry.
In front of a sold-out audience of 750 country-wide industry leaders, John and Robert Weedon, co-directors of the Cornish fuel supplier, were presented with the special award by Ken Cronin, CEO of UKIFDA.
Mitchell & Webber’s recognition comes following years of action and campaigning for government backing of HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) as a renewable alternative fuel. Their nationally leading demonstration project, based in Cornwall, has seen the conversion of over 50 appliances, many in Kehelland, to create the first HVO village in the UK - including homes, businesses, churches, and the local school.
John Weedon, Director at Mitchell & Webber, said: “We were surprised but absolutely delighted to win this award, which recognises our whole team and many others across the industry who have been leading from the front and promoting the benefits of HVO as a fossil-free alternative for the future”.
Mitchell & Webber was the first company in the UK to begin trialling HVO as a renewable fossil-free fuel for heating.
HVO is an alternative liquid fuel that can replace the standard heating oils used in existing oil-fired boilers with an affordable and swift conversion which can cut net greenhouse gas CO2 emissions by 90%.
The fossil-free fuel is made from waste fats and oils and has been certified as sustainable by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification - meaning it does not contribute to deforestation.
During the show and awards ceremony at Coventry CBS Arena, Olympian and gold medal winner Amy Williams presented awards recognising industry leaders across a range of categories.
John continued “With net-zero targets and new government regulations on the horizon, we feel it’s vital to develop an accessible alternative to traditional heating fuels for rural properties that are reliant on oil-fired heating.
"Our work indicates that many property owners will find it difficult to implement other heating technologies - whether that is down to the potential costs involved, or their suitability to the age or style of the building.
"We’ve been working to test HVO as a simple, cost-effective and impactful solution for oil-fired systems, and we’re pleased to say that the results have been fantastic across the board.”
To find out more about Mitchell & Webber and HVO, visit https://mitweb.co.uk/services/home-heating-oil-devon-cornwall/hvo-renewable-home-heating-fuel/
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