CHP = Cucumbers with Heat and Power
The AGR Glasshouse and Energy Centre in the United Kingdom has a massive surface of 217,000m², and will be able to grow 10% of the cucumbers consumed in Britain. It will use 30% less CO2 than conventionally heated glasshouses.
The Energy Centre for the glasshouse combines a heat pump system with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant with CO2 recovery. The installation of heat pumps will provide renewable hot water heating to the glasshouse. The CO2 recovered from exhaust gases will be transferred to the glasshouse to help accelerate the growth of the produce.
The CHP plant will consist of three high-efficiency INNIO Jenbacher gas engines providing an electrical output of 9MWe, which will be used to power the glasshouse, the LED grow lights and various site auxiliaries. The waste heat generated from the engines is to be utilised as hot water which will be stored in two 6000m3 thermal stores and used to heat the glasshouses.
The liquid-to-water heat pumps will recover renewable heat from local reservoirs on site via the reverse Carnot cycle and through the use of an ammonia refrigerant.
AGR is a leading renewable energy company specialising in low carbon energy generation, with over £350m of projects delivered to date in the UK, including a portfolio of gas peaking and combined heat and power (CHP) projects.
Technical details
- Glasshouse with 217,000m² surface
- 33MWth Heat Pump System
- 9MW Combined Heat and Power Plant