Forest Pennant’s hydroelectricity generation scheme has won a prestigious industry award at this year’s Sustain Magazine awards.

The competition included leading power and gas company EON and global construction giant Interserve. But it was the natural Pennant sandstone producers who were presented with the award for Energy at a lavish awards dinner at The Troxy, London, on 1 March.

The hydrogeneration plant harnesses the power of the River Lyd via an existing 18th century spillway and head of the historic Cannop Ponds.

The judging panel was impressed with the company’s significant reduction in the use of mains electricity – cut by around 80% – and the turbine’s ability to produce around 50,000kW hours of carbon-free electricity each year.

The electricity is used for the processing of the Royal Forest Pennant that the company sells, which now indisputedly has the lowest carbon footprint of any stone available in the UK.

With recent coverage on both BBC news and radio and supported by a sustained PR campaign, this award marks the start of a new and exciting era for Forest Pennant, acting as an exemplar project for other stone producers and manufacturers.

To learn more about Forest Pennant, the hydro scheme and Royal Pennant Sandstone, call 01594 562974, email the address below or go to the website (address also below).

In the picture on the right are (left to right): Dean Walton, director of Alumet Systems and Marketing Director of EOS Energy, comedian Adam Bloom, Forest Pennant managing director Nick Horton, Forest of Dean Stone Firms Director Marcus Scott-Russell, and Holly Rogers, of Pentacom PR, who handles Forest Pennant's public relations.