Great Northern Hydroponics (Part 1 of 9)

Friday, October 22nd, 2010 at 12:15 am

Part 1) Kimberley Kroslak Guido Van Het Hof leamingtongrower.com KINGSVILLE, Ontario, July 13 (UPI) -- A cogeneration plant for a commercial greenhouse opened Friday in Ontario, the first of its kind in North America. Designed by GE Energy, the greenhouse facility is powered by four of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines, using a carbon dioxide fertilization technology developed by Jenbacher. The plant is designed to generate more reliable on-site power and heat while reducing emissions from energy production, GE Energy said in a release. It is located on the commercial greenhouse complex operated by Great Northern Hydroponics in Kingsville, Ontario, which produces some 2.1 million cases of gourmet tomatoes for Detroit-area grocery stores and restaurants. With rising fuel costs, many greenhouse operators have shifted to coal to save on energy expenditures. Cogeneration plants rely on natural gas to generate heat, electricity and carbon dioxide. In turn, the carbon dioxide emissions from the engines in the GE Energy-designed facility at Great Northern Hydroponics boost growth of the tomatoes, which consume high levels of carbon dioxide. Cogeneration plants are known to be more energy efficient than separate systems that generate electrical and thermal power and consume less fuel to produce the same amount of power, GE Energy said. These plants can also help to lower regional industrial emissions associated with energy production. The Great Northern Hydroponics GE Energy ...