Uniquely Albertan company leverages fossil fuel into green initiative
Enermerge uses tri-generation technology to produce electricity, heat and filtered carbon dioxide to grow thousands of vegetables in a year-round operation
In a sprawling, 37-acre greenhouse on the east shore of Gull Lake, near Lacombe, Alta., neat rows of cucumbers, bell peppers, egg plants and lettuce grow on vines and pallets, bathed in both natural and on-site generated light.
At first glance, it looks like any other greenhouse you’ve seen. But duck into a nearby utilities space and you’ll find the literal engines — large generators fueled by natural gas with heat and CO2 capture— that help make this facility self-sustaining and well on its way to being carbon-neutral.
“The generators provide all the power the greenhouse needs, and any extra generation is put on the grid,” says Brad Murray, founder and managing director of Enermerge, an Alberta-based integrated energy and agriculture company.
“Our goal is to be viewed similar to solar and wind energy with regard to environmentally-conscious energy. Although fossil fuel based, we utilize the heat and CO2 bi-products of electrical power generation to do something good — grow local vegetables.”
The process is called tri-generation — making electricity, heat and CO2 from a single energy source — natural gas. Natural gas from local wells is combusted in engines that drive generators to produce electricity, and the exhaust is then cooled (capturing the heat) and treated to remove any impurities. The result is a constant supply of electricity, warm water and air, rich in carbon dioxide — the lifeblood of any greenhouse — and minimal energy waste.
This electricity, heat and CO2 are used to grow thousands of vegetables in a yearround operation run by Doef’s Greenhouses Ltd.
“Not only is this integrated process reducing emissions, but it lowers operating costs,” says
Murray. “It’s going to allow us to supply the market with cost-effective produce, and enable expansion and ultimately bring new products to the market.”
Self-sustaining greenhouses are key by-products of Alberta’s innovation ecosystem, and they could have an impact beyond their carbon footprints. EnerMerge believes they can also improve Canada’s food sovereignty by boosting capacity for year-round agriculture.
The company is seeking investors who will help it expand, potentially adding multiple integrated greenhouse-energy projects over the next decade.
“The idea is that Enermerge will provide a diversified income stream from electricity, heat, natural gas and vegetable sales,” says Murray. “We flow the profit directly back to the investors.”
As consumers continue to demand social responsibility from food producers and energy firms, the tri-generation model is an example of where those industries may be headed.
“There’s lots of natural gas in Alberta as a feedstock,” saysmurray. “And in Alberta the power and natural gas industries are deregulated, which allows us to do these innovative things.
“A lot of places in the world, you can’t do what we are doing here. We’ve got a very significant and unique opportunity in Alberta.”
For more information about Enermerge and to learn more about investment opportunities, visit invest.enermerge.ca/ investment.