Clarke Energy CHP has secured a major combined heat and power project for nurseries on the Isle of Wight, in what is the largest ever greenhouse CHP order in the European horticultural industry. Secured in conjunction with Independent Energy, the project is for a consortium of growers on the island that market their production of tomatoes and cucumbers through Wight Salads Ltd.
The project, which involves six nursery sites, will generate a total of 36MW supplied by 18 model 616, 1500 rpm Jenbacher gas engines, each of 2MW size. Custom-designed for constant duty base load operation, these compact engines do not require special foundations for installation and offer wellproven longevity in the horticultural environment. Clarke is able to supply its engines as a complete factory-built package.
The engines, together with control systems, are rigorously tested on test-beds at Jenbacher’s main factory in Austria, enabling quicker and more efficient commissioning once delivered to site. The Wight Salads consortium comprises Arreton Valley Nursery Ltd, the largest independent tomato grower in the UK, Bridgeguild Ltd, which produces approximately 50% of the UK cherry tomato crop, and Macketts Land Nursery that concentrates on cucumber production.
As well as reducing the energy costs of these nurseries, the by-products of power generation, namely heat and carbon dioxide from exhaust gases, are used to increase the yields of the greenhouse produce. The surplus electricity from the installation will, meanwhile, be sold to homes and businesses on the Isle of Wight, and ‘exported’ to the English mainland.
