A Tasty Success In Belgium

BY IAN CAMERON

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract with Tuinbouwbedrijf Marc Pittoors (T.B.M.P) BVBA, for the supply of a 7 MWe combined heat and power plant (CHP).

The plant will be powered by two gas-fired gensets based on the new medium-speed Bergen B36:45L6 engine and will provide heat and power to a new tomato greenhouse in Belgium. The contract also includes a service agreement for 10 years. The gensets are scheduled to go into operation early November 2018.

The electricity will power the greenhouse artificial lighting and the heat extracted from exhaust gases and engine cooling systems will heat the facility. In addition, cleaned engine exhaust gases will be injected into the greenhouse to increase the level of carbon dioxide and boost plant growth.

Marc Pittoors, chief executive officer of T.B.M.P said: “For our tomato producing company three factors were crucial in taking this decision: electrical efficiency, expertise and optimum heat balance.”

Paul Hovius of PaCHov Consultancy, based in Teteringen, the Netherlands, conducted the sales and contract negotiations for this first CHP equipped with the new Bergen in-line engine.

Rolls-Royce will be supplying the complete CHP plant for this greenhouse, consisting of the power generator sets, the exhaust gas systems including a selective catalytic reduction system and heat exchangers, and the electronic control system. In total, the technology achieves efficiency rates of more than 96%, said Rolls-Royce.

Since 2005 Rolls-Royce has delivered 52 CHP plants with a total installed capacity of 270 MWe for greenhouses in Holland, Belgium, Russia and the UK. Norway-based Bergen Engines is a fully-owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.