Export order for Welsh renewables company

Award-winning UK renewable company Dulas of mid Wales has just won a GBP1 million order from Nigeria for its world-leading solar vaccine fridges.

Welsh renewables company Award-winning UK renewable company Dulas of mid Wales has just won a GBP1 million order from Nigeria for its world-leading solar vaccine fridges.

More than 600 of the UK manufactured life-saving chillers will be shipped out over the next few months.

It's the second order from the Nigerian government.

The company has already played a vital role in helping to vaccinate 45 million people in Nigeria against polio and is one of only a handful of companies world-wide to be approved by the World Health Organisation.

And it says the latest order comes because of the 'bomb proof' nature of the Machynlleth-designed fridge - which has already helped the company win a trio of export awards - and painstaking customer service.

"The Dulas designed and developed VC65 fridge has fewer moving parts and is more efficient than most rivals, it's also very, very tough," said Dulas marketing director Ian Draisey mf 2/ "We are passionate about the planet.

"And our unique customer service means that we spend time with our customers, we see how they use our products and we can change the design to make them fit their needs," said Ian.

One example of this customer care came during delivery of the first order to Nigeria three years ago.

The fridges were pushed off the back of pick-up trucks when they were 'delivered' to remote hospitals.

"The wheels popped up into the fridge, sometimes damaging the mechanism, and making it much harder to move around," said Ian.

The Dulas engineer on the spot was able to contact Machynlleth and the framework of the fridge was re-designed and strengthened.

New heavier duty packaging was also introduced and no problems have been experienced with the 'Toyota drop' since.

Over the last three years Dulas has seen a 300 per cent increase in demand for its tough, highly efficient, refrigeration systems from organisations such as UNICEF, which operate immunisation programmes in remote communities.

From its high tech, low energy headquarters in the Dyfi Valley, Dulas has also supplied other solar powered medical equipment which is helping to make important advances in health care across the world.

Hundreds of remote hospitals and clinics in Africa, Asia and Latin America have been supplied with systems which power laboratory equipment, medical centrifuges and operating theatre lights as well as the vaccine and blood bank refrigerators.

"We believe renewables have a valuable role to play both in helping areas where there is no electricity, and in replacing old technologies which are adding to greenhouse gases and global warming.

And we believe it is this commitment to the philosophy of renewables, coupled with sound commercial management, which is making Dulas one of the leading companies in the world," Ian added.

The company has also installed photo-voltaic solar systems for rural areas, providing lighting and fresh water supplies in the world's poorer countries.

Dulas works with Trade Partners UK and the Wales Trade International in developing its international trading strategy.

Now it is working towards marketing PV systems on the home market, a market for grid connected PV systems which is increasing at 25 per cent a year, helped by continued grant funding.

The existing market is worth around GBP13 million and with a total of GBP20 million earmarked for grant aid Dulas expects rapid growth.

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