THE Borders engineering firm Turnbull & Scott is celebrating the biggest contract in its 80-year history as it installs a new wood-fired biomass heating system at Stracathro Hospital.
The Hawick-based company said the deal, worth almost £1 million, was a major feather in its cap and added to a burgeoning reputation for the design and installation of steam-based systems.
The company already works for the private sector, NHS boards and other public authorities, but the present project is more than double the size of its previous projects.
Turnbull & Scott said the complex 990kW contract was “a very big project” for the 35-strong firm, which hopes to expand its capabilities even further.
“We are delighted that NHS Tayside have chosen Turnbull & Scott for this important project,” managing director Peter Murphy said.
“Given our decades of experience with steam systems, and our recent success in growing our biomass boiler capability, it is the logical next step for us.”
Stracathro, which has around 50 beds, currently runs three traditional gas-fired boilers but these are subject to high and volatile fuel costs.
The new boiler will integrate with the present system and will also see NHS Tayside receive Renewable Heat Incentive payments from government for the next 20 years.
Turnbull & Scott is currently on-site at Stracathro, with works expected to be complete by next month.
NHS Tayside energy coordinator John Ruddy said the investment was “just part” of the organisation’s plans to reduce its carbon output.
“The new biomass boiler at Stracathro Hospital will reduce our CO2 emissions by nearly 1,300 tonnes a year and help NHS Tayside meet its carbon reduction targets,” he said.
“That’s over 2% of our overall emissions as a board and will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which are predicted to rise in cost greater than inflation.”