FDBusiness.com

Tangerine Confectionery, the UK’s largest independent sugar confectionery manufacturer, will achieve significant savings on energy thanks to cogeneration and trigeneration technologies from sustainable engineering group ENER-G. Tangerine is installing energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) systems at its Pontefract production site in West Yorkshire, where famous brands such as Wilkinson’s Pontefract cakes and Butterkist Popcorn are made.

Each year, Tangerine will achieve cost savings of almost £200,000 and save 630 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to the environmental benefit of 63,000 trees. The two-phase contract involved the installation of an ENER-G 500kWe cogeneration unit in September 2010, followed by a 230kWe trigeneration system to be commissioned in February 2011. The smaller unit will provide electricity, heating and cooling to supply a second production facility.

ENER-G CHP unit at Tangerine Confectionery.

Tangerine has utilised ENER-G’s discount energy purchase scheme which entails no capital outlay for the business. The contract is structured to deliver low-cost, low-carbon energy onsite thus reducing the facility’s carbon footprint whilst improving profitability.

UK-based ENER-G is also working with Tangerine to develop CHP solutions on a number of other sites. A multi-site roll-out will facilitate a significant carbon reduction which is increasingly important given the advent of the UK government’s Energy Efficiency Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme.

Tangerine operates seven UK production sites employ approximately 1500 people and in three years, turnover has increased from £40m to £150m.

Tangerine Confectionery was created through three key acquisitions within the UK, over a three years period. In January 2006, a management team with an established pedigree in the confectionery industry acquired Blackpool-based Toms of Denmark. This was followed soon after by the confectionery arm of Burton’s Foods in August 2006, to create a £60m turnover business, committed to the production of both own label and branded confectionery for the UK and abroad. In February 2008, came the third and largest acquisition: Monkhill Confectionery, which was acquired from Cadbury Schweppes for £58m in cash.