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1/29/07

FreshPlaza: Tomato plants absorb carbon emission

For the complete report from Fresh Plaza click on thgis linkTomato plants absorb carbon emission

Greenhouse gases may be a cause of global warming, but a massive tomato greenhouse in Leamington has other plans for the carbon dioxide it produces. Great Northern Hydroponics of Kingsville will begin installing this spring a new "co-generation" system, designed to supply electricity and heating for a 20-hectare greenhouse facility that's capable of producing more than nine million kilograms of tomatoes annually.

About 10 megawatts of surplus power from the natural gas-based system will be sold into the provincial grid under a 20-year contract with the Ontario Power Authority, which announced six other co-generation projects back in October. As an added twist, the carbon dioxide emitted from the exhaust of four Jenbacher gas engines will be purified, cooled, and pumped back into the greenhouse. The tomato plants will then absorb the greenhouse gas as food, ultimately accelerating their growth.

"This is the first major installation since 1993 in the greenhouse industry," said Jan Buijk, general manager at Detroit Diesel Allison Canada East, which distributes and installs the GE Energy-designed system in Canada. Buijk said three Ontario greenhouses attempted similar projects in the early 1990s, when the former Ontario Hydro was expecting a power shortage and encouraging alternative generation. But by the mid-1990s the utility flip-flopped, saying instead the province was expecting a surplus. Incentive programs were cancelled.

While co-generation and CO2 fertilization for greenhouses is relatively new to North America, the practice is quite common in Europe. "Over the years, GE has supplied more than 500 of these systems in Europe, particularly Holland," Buijk said. "That's where all the technology development is taking place."

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