AMCO Produce (CAN)

Background

AMCO Produce is a 100-acre (40.5 ha) greenhouse, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in southwestern Ontario, Canada. To support its energy- and heat- intensive hydroponic production, the company was in search of an efficient, rapidly deployable and cost-effective power solution that also reduced its carbon footprint and met local emissions regulations.

An efficient, cost-effective solution

A single Jenbacher J316 engine running on pipeline gas at the heart of the greenhouse's new cogeneration plant. Equipped with double-stage exhaust gas heat exchangers, the combined heat and power (CHP) package delivers 850 kW of power and 1.2 MW of heat to fully satisfy the greenhouse's significant electricity and heat requirements. The CHP system is equipped with heat recovery on both the engines's loop and the exhaust gases. It is designed to allow for the use of the fuel's latent heat.

The project was developed, including the engineering and design, installed, and commissioned by Enerflex, INNIO Group's authorized Jenbacher distributor and service provider in Canada.

Result

The CHP plant supplies electricity to meet the AMCO Produce facility's baseload demand and complements its thermal demand. Achieving overall efficiency of approximately 90% the plant directs heat toward the greenhouse's operations or to a 2.64 m. gal. (10,000 cubic-meter) hot storage tank during summer months.

because AMCO Produce does not yet have a connections agreement with the local utility, the cogeneration unit is operating completely in island mode. In the future, the plant can be connected to the grid for parallel operation.

Customer benefits

• AMCO Produce was able to launch its energy-demanding operations using on-site power generation
• The plant uses waste heat created during the engines's operation to generate overall CHP plant efficiencies of approximately 90%, which increases the project's return on investment (ROI) and allowed AMCO Produce to qualify for Governmental Grants.
• AMCO Produce has lower energy costs with the CHP making the Greenhouse more competitive against its peers.
• The plant's new CHP system operates with low emissions level, in compliance with local regulations.