GSH Group wins Global FM Gold Award of Excellence 

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• GSH Group wins Global FM Gold Award of Excellence 

19 October 2020

GSH Group has won the Gold Award of Excellence in Facilities Management for 2020. 

The award, presented by Global FM, the federation of facilities management organisations, is in recognition of the company’s innovative project to transform biomass-waste, created in the production process, into a burnable fuel which is actively used in the manufacturing process.

GSH worked with Kaleesuwari from 2015 managing its refineries in India to produce steam used in the extraction of oils from nuts, seeds and other raw materials for sale into the food, personal and household markets in the country. 

“As energy and facilities management professionals, we realise industrial and commercial real estate are large consumers of energy and producers of greenhouse gases. We also recognise that we are in a unique position to assist our client facilities in combatting waste and inefficiencies.”

– Mark Thomas

CEO, GSH Group

Sawdust, Wood Charcoal Powder, Turmeric and Coal as Fuel

In November 2017 they started to mix biomass, including sawdust, wood charcoal powder and turmeric, with coal as a fuel for the fluidised-bed combustion boilers in two power refineries in Palani and Chennai. This increased to 60 per cent and 20 per cent biomass respectively, with GSH achieving a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions together with a 15 per cent reduction in the cost of steam.

Biomass ash content is low compared to coal, making for easy and more environmentally-friendly disposal. And the products, which are sustainably sourced from close to the refineries, are safer to store. The results were so positive that the business switched over completely to biomass increasing the range of biomass products it used to include chilli powder.    

The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) nominated the project for this year’s Global FM Awards following the scheme being a finalist in last year’s IWFM Impact Awards. 

GSH Group’s CEO, Mark Thomas said: “Innovation is at the heart of the GSH approach, and this project epitomises the way we do business. I am delighted that our engineers’ hard work and dedication to our clients and the environment has been recognised by the leading FM body in the world. 

“As energy and facilities management professionals, we realise industrial and commercial real estate are large consumers of energy and producers of greenhouse gases. We also recognise that we are in a unique position to assist our client facilities in combatting waste and inefficiencies.”

In total, Global FM made four awards this year including:

1. Platinum Award of Excellence in FM 2020 to Citi (IFMA nominated).
2. Gold Award of Excellence in FM 2020 to GSH Group (IWFM nominated).
3. Silver Award of Excellence in FM 2020 to Imdadd (MEFMA nominated).
4. Highly Commended Award of Excellence in FM 2020 to Blue IoT (FMA nominated).

Duncan Waddell, Chairman of Global FM, summed up this year’s applicants: “Global FM would like to thank all nominees for the time and effort in their respective applications. The quality and demonstration of benefits and output is [a] testament to how the delivery of FM services continues to positively impact many sectors around the world.”

Picture: a photograph of a large container full of coal

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 October 2020

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