The Kensa Group has opened the UK’s largest production facility dedicated to ground source heat pumps.
Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General, officially opened the facility, at Mount Wellington Mine in Truro, Cornwall.
Earlier this year, Legal & General Capital (LGC), the alternative asset platform of Legal & General Group, made an £8 million investment into the Kensa Group, which brought its total investment in the organisation to £15.7 million over two years.
The capital supports The Kensa Group as it continues to scale up the deployment of low-carbon ground source technology and networks.
In the 24 months since LGC became shareholders in The Kensa Group, the manufacturer has broken records by doubling the amount of ground source heat pumps made at the facility, with a plan in place to increase output rapidly by a further 50% to meet demand.
The factory has the capacity to manufacture 30,000 ground source heat pumps every year. Kensa’s own heat pumps provide the factory and offices with underfloor heating, hot water and cooling by exchanging heat with water from a flooded mine shaft on the historic site.
Product innovations from Kensa include – The Kensa Q – a new commercial range capable of high heat loads, and a highly flexible storage heat pump which can be run when electricity is at its cheapest and the heat stored for use later when it is needed.
Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General, said:
Climate is not only the most urgent issue but also the biggest investment opportunity of our lifetimes. Investing in businesses that support the clean energy transition alongside significant job creation is central to how we deliver inclusive capitalism, so I’m delighted that Legal & General are continuing to support The Kensa Group’s expansion. The new, significantly larger factory, will accommodate the growing demand for ground source heat pumps as home owners and property developers look for a reliable source of low carbon heating.
Dr Matt Trewhella, CEO of The Kensa Group, said:
We are delighted that Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General Group is able to officially open our fantastic new factory and office. For Kensa and L&G, coming together at this event showcases our shared ambition to play a pivotal part in the UK’s solution to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Heat pumps are key to the low carbon economy, but the whole heat pump supply chain, including Kensa, will have to expand dramatically to meet the UK’s 2028 heat pump installation target.
The investment from Legal & General Capital has allowed us to significantly step up our efforts in areas such as R&D and operations, as we continue to prepare for further rapid growth.
