ProSpare has been recognised by the Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) in honour of contributions to sustainability within the bulk materials handling industry.
The MHEA Excellence Awards, celebrating the best in materials handling, took place on Tuesday, 13th of October this year, and ProSpare were pleased to be listed amongst the winners, taking away the Sustainability Award 2026.
(Left to right: Rory Underwood, Danny Smith, James Bullock, Neil Ruddock, Jan Hajkowski, Phil Tufnell)
When ProSpare moved to the new premises at Castlewood Business Park in 2022, we took the opportunity to start a decarbonisation project of our on-site operations. The project has gone on to deliver a measurable reduction in fossil-fuel use, alongside a major expansion of renewable energy generation at our HQ.
Before the move, ProSpare used natural gas and kerosene for heating. The new building is powered 100% by electricity and insulated to a far higher standard, helping to minimise energy loss and eliminate fossil-fuel consumption on site.
In March 2023, we installed a 100kW solar PV array on the roof, creating the foundation for a low-carbon energy system that now supports both the building and the charging of around six electric and hybrid vehicles.
The solar array has produced over 333,000kWh of green electricity, while our own electricity consumption over the same period has been around 322,000kWh. That means we have generated the equivalent of 104% of our total demand and have been a net exporter of electricity over the last 3.5 years.
(100kW solar PV array on the roof at ProSpare HQ)
Furthermore, the project’s impact has extended beyond our own premises. We became a case study for the solar panel provider, and another company in our supply chain has chosen to use the solar panel company for its own project, with advice from ProSpare.
Speaking to Tom Bullock, the lead on our solar project, he said:
“If anyone has a big power bill and a vaguely southwards-facing roof, then you’re probably good candidates for this; we’d be happy to share our simple strategy with you in more detail.
Much is made of the fact that it is difficult and expensive to get companies and economies to 100% self-sufficiency / using 100% renewables. This is absolutely true, but I think what we’ve shown with this project is that it’s extremely quick, cheap, easy and quite profitable to get halfway there, which counts for a lot.”
We hope our experience will encourage more MHEA members to consider solar power. Our results show that moving towards renewable energy can be practical and effective, with the potential to deliver substantially more clean electricity when businesses act together.
The MHEA Excellence Awards took place at the annual Bulkex conference, bringing together more than 250 delegates attending across the two days. With an excellent programme of technical presentations and a busy exhibition showcasing the latest innovations, the event was a reminder of the expertise, enthusiasm and community spirit in the sector.
Bulkex also marked the end of the tenure on the MHEA executive committee for our CEO, James Bullock. James first joined the committee in 2015 and over the past decade has helped the MHEA to champion best practices, foster collaboration and drive technological progress across the materials handling sector. During his tenure, James also served two years as Vice President, and a further 2 years as President of the MHEA from 2022 to 2024.
As James stepped away from the committee, Ben Dunn of Rossi Gearmotors Ltd was welcomed as the new President, and another member of the ProSpare team, Danny Smith, has joined the MHEA as an Executive Committee member. Danny is the General Manager of ProSpare’s Bulk Materials Handling division and has a wealth of experience in the industry. We’re looking forward to seeing what Danny does during his time, and we wish him luck.
(James hosting BulkEx in 2024)
Join us on stand 28 at Bulkex on the 13th & 14th of October 2026 for all things bulk material handling.
This year at Hillhead, as part of ProSpare’s presence at the show, they marked the 10th anniversary of the Bulk Materials Handling Division – which made its debut at Hillhead 2016, and has gone on to improve the performance of thousands of belt conveyors throughout UK.
