The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has visited Truro-based ground source heat pump manufacturer Kensa to hear about the Cornish ground source heat pump manufacturer’s expansion plans for the next five years. These include ramping up production and installation of heat pumps to 25,000/year, growing its UK workforce to 450, and creating more jobs in its UK supply chains.
As part of the discussion, Kensa welcomed the positive policies announced by the government in recent weeks, including a move to clean heating in new build homes, which the company is supporting through its partnership with GTC. Also discussed were the commitment of £13.2 billion for the Warm Homes Plan and a plan to grow heat pump manufacturing as part of the Industrial Strategy.
During a roundtable discussion, Kensa also stressed the need to maintain the stability and policy momentum established so far on energy, giving heat pump manufacturers the market confidence needed to invest. Attendees included Kensa’s CEO, Tamsin Lishman, and representatives from Cornwall-based businesses with an active role in the green transition. The companies represented included Geothermal Engineering Ltd, Celtic Sea Power, Eden Geothermal Limited, Cornish Metals, and Naked Solar, with local MPs, Perran Moon and Jayne Kirkham, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and the National Wealth Fund also in attendance.
Discussions from the roundtable focused on Cornwall’s role in green growth, with a particular focus on the potential of geothermal heat and power, including Cornwall’s own natural resources, as well as the work of Kensa, which is harnessing ground source heat right across the country.
The Chancellor’s visit comes as Kensa continues to connect more homes to its networked heat pump system, which is claimed to be key to building new energy-efficient homes and installing heat pumps in millions of properties without outdoor space, from high-rises to tenements to Victorian terraces.
Tamsin Lishman, Kensa CEO, commented: “We have bold ambitions to invest and expand its workforce and operations over the next five years, making sure it fully plays its role in the delivery of green jobs and growth. I have been buoyed by the recent government announcements on the Future Homes Standard, major funding commitments for the Warm Homes Plan, and a clear plan to bolster heat pump manufacturing as part of the new Industrial Strategy. This is the policy platform we need for growth in Kensa and in Cornwall, and we look forward to working with the government to deliver it.”
