Having a chemical plant sited almost next door to your plantation isn't normally what your average aubergine grower might want for his crop. Jan van Duijn, however, walks proudly through his greenhouse, a vast glass and metal structure spread out over five hectares (12.3 acres) where millions of aubergines are doing very nicely thank you. He's happy because thanks to a deal with a supplier, he's getting hot water piped in from the factory, which produces ammonia, to maintain the temperature at a constant 20 degrees C (68 F). The chemical site, five kilometres (three miles away), also supplies carbon dioxide which helps his aubergines grow more abundantly.
All that for a competitive deal which helps the environment too, at a time when governments and climate activists are meeting in Copenhagen to hammer out an accord to try to reduce carbon emissions and curb global warming.
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