Carbon Trust Interest Free Loan Scheme

The Carbon Trust is an independent company funded by the Government. Its role is to help the UK move to a low carbon economy by helping business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions now and capture the
commercial opportunities of low carbon technologies.

One activity is the Interest Free Loan Scheme which supports Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to finance carbon saving projects.

An AFCOOL project can qualify because the energy consumed is normally only 15% of a refrigeration based system. The electricity savings results in significant carbon savings. It is normal to qualify for up to £5,000 of interest free loan per cooler based on a double shift operation.

The Loan

• Unsecured, Interest free loans from £5,000 to £100,000 to SMEs to fund carbon saving projects.
• Loan can cover the cost of equipment and installation.
• The loan can cover both new and replacement equipment.
• The maximum loan period is four years

Which companies are Eligible?

The scheme is open to SMEs in:

• England
• Wales
• Scotland

A SME is defined as:

• Fewer than 250 full time employee
• Less than £35 million turnover Or Less than £30 million assets
• Not owned by a larger organisation

Companies must have been trading for at least one year. Types of companies include

• Limited companies
• Charities
• Sole traders
• Partnerships
• Clubs
  
• Friendly Societies
  
• Voluntary Organisations

The scheme is open to all companies in Northern Ireland.

Which Companies are NOT Eligible?

Companies operating in agriculture, fisheries (including some parts of the food and drinks industry), transport (for funding of vehicles), or export-related activities are not eligible. The Carbon Trust Account Managers can give specific guidance on this.

What Projects are Eligible?

• Project cost must be greater than £5,000
  
• less than £100,000
  
• Projects must save 1.43Kg CO2 per £1,000 of loan
  
• Projects must save at least £1,000 per year of energy

Application Procedure

1. Check eligibility of customer by completing and submitting Eligibility Checklist.
   
2. Complete and submit the Application Form. EcoCooling provides detailed support in the calculation of the energy saving of an AFCOOL installation compared to conventional refrigeration based systems. The information required to complete this analysis is:
3. The Carbon Trust will then forward this to a consultant who will review the application in detail.
• Electricity costs per kWHr – day and night rates
• Water cost per cubic meter
• Shift pattern of operation
• Location of project
4. The Carbon Trust then makes a formal loan offer to the customer – normally within 3 weeks of the application being submitted.
   
5. The customer then signs the loan offer and has 3 months to complete the project.

For more information please contact one of our sales representatives on 0870 445 0135.