As Britain prepares to down tools for sun, sea, surf and relaxation, we tour a luxurious resort setting new #netzero standards for domestic vacations.
Bluestone National Park Resort in #Pembrokeshire, #Wales, is on an ambitious mission to become the first #fossilfuel-free holiday resort in the #UK in 2025.
A luxury holiday destination, it offers woodland lodges and cottages, a 5* award-winning spa, a subtropical water park, and free play areas, as well as adventure-filled activities for families to explore nature on their doorstep.
Holiday parks across the UK often bear the unflattering label of “waste giants.” But at Bluestone, our aim is to transform this narrative. As sustainability director at the resort, my role is to help Bluestone to continue to evolve and become a beacon of social and environmental responsibility within the industry, but also on a localised level too – something that’s hugely important in our current climate.
Despite being relatively small compared to our industry counterparts, Bluestone has made a significant impact, recently being named the third-best holiday park in the UK and ‘Wales’ Top Resort’ by Which?. Our commitment to sustainability sets us apart from many of the larger resorts, and we have big plans to #decarbonise the site.
Currently, 95% of the £2 million+ worth of energy we purchase is already fossil fuel-free and we are continuing that journey. But what have we done so far? In 2019, the resort switched to a certified renewable energy contract (#REGO) on purchased electricity as we waited for consent from #NationalGrid to generate onsite #renewables while connected to their current infrastructure.
Then, in 2022, Bluestone transitioned its gas use to #lowcarbon, fossil fuel free, Futuria Liquid Gas, and earlier this year, the park also fully transitioned to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil as a renewable diesel alternative, which is used across the resort as we electrify the vehicle fleet.
The Blue Lagoon Water Park is heated with sustainably sourced local biomass – one of the first in the world to do this – saving over 1,000 tonnes of #carbonemissions annually.
Looking ahead to the next few months, we’ll be switching on a 3.2MW #solarfarm at the resort, which will provide a third of our electricity across the park. We have recently engaged with #Swansea University about a research programme at the solar farm, testing theories around maximising biodiversity.
Over the past five years, we’ve already reduced our Market-based scope 1&2 energy related carbon emissions by over 95% – while increasing revenue by over 40%. This shows that sustainability and tourism can coexist, and consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally responsible when booking a ‘no fly’ break.
Chief Technology Officer @ On.Energy
10moNice! I'll commission that myself 😁