February 2015, Ijsselmuiden, The Netherlands
WEP is happy to know that the benefit of geothermal energy to the cooperative growers in Ijsselmuiden is very high. The deployment of the geothermal energy supply helps to cultivate their cucumbers in a sustainable matter. Additional, two large benefits are the early harvest and a very low natural gas bill. Geothermal energy supply is delivered by the geothermal doublet drilled in 2012 under WEP engineering, field supervision, and management support.
This great topic made the news! In the newspaper article (in Dutch) you can read about René Kalter from Kwekerij Voorhof, who is explaining that the cucumbers which they cultivate can be harvested now very early in the year. This is the case in the greenhouse of René, but also in the greenhouse of André Vahl.
A combination of greenhouse cultivation expertise, a mild winter, and geothermal energy made this possible. Normally to be able to have cucumbers ready in the middle of winter requires a lot of energy to supply the necessary warmth in the greenhouse. It would be very costly combined with high CO2 emission when using natural gas. By using energy from the earth, the cost and emission are highly reduced making it possible now. No natural gas has to be bought in mild winters.
An extra benefit of the energy is made by growers of strawberries and seeds by using the warm water that leaves the greenhouse before it is circulated back into the doublet.
- The estimated amount of cucumbers grown on geothermal energy this year is estimated at 7,5 million in the greenhouse of René and 18 million in the greenhouse of André. No natural gas had to be used providing sustainable cultivation.
- The cucumbers are for the largest part exported to England, a part goes to Scandinavia and Germany.
