Truly Green Farms and Greenfield Global in Chatham are getting a $3.7-million federal government loan that will help reduce their environmental footprint.
The money will be used to pipe waste heat and carbon dioxide underground from Greenfield to Truly Green at a total cost of $8-million.
The partnership will cut energy costs in half, create jobs, and get rid of most of the smelly steam coming out of the stack at the ethanol plant on Bloomfield Rd. by December 1.
Truly Green President Greg Devries says the partnership will boost tomato yields and create cleaner air for the community.
"Truly Green has been heated by a conventional hot water boiler system, which is the same of any other greenhouse operation you may find throughout the province. With this there is approximately 600 gallons a minute of steam going through the stack, which everybody in the community can see from a long ways away," says Devries.
Devries says Truly Green is the first greenhouse to be warmed by waste heat and one of the most energy efficient greenhouses in North America.
Devries says the collaboration will reduce the environmental footprint and make operations more productive and competitive.
"There is approximately 600 gallons a minute of steam going through the stack, which everybody in the community can see from a long ways away. We're capturing the 600 gallons a minute of steam and putting it into the form of hot water, transferring it under the road at Bloomfield and putting that heat into the greenhouse operation," Devries says.
Devries says the new process will improve the food we eat and the air we breath. It will also create jobs in our community.
"The steam is going to be captured year round and we have the flexibility design within the system that we can take none or all of it and Greenfield has the capability to handle whatever it is we don't utilize at any given time and put it through a cooling tower that will help cool it down," says Devries.