UNDERWOOD, N.D. (AP) — Great River Energy is studying whether it could profitably power a greenhouse on the grounds of its Coal Creek Station coal-fired power plant.
Potential plant would use excess heat from the plant that produces electricity and also supplies waste steam to a nearby ethanol plant, The Bismarck Tribune reported.
The GRE, North American Coal, California-based Houweling’s Group and Knorr Farms began researching a greenhouse as a potential user of excess heat from the Underwood power plant more than a year ago.
“It is looking reasonably positive,” said Rich Garman, GRE’s senior project manager of business development.
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They’re two-part feasibility study is nearing completion. The study aims to find if the project is to find if the project is economically viable. It would take a couple of years before anything is built.
Plans for the project would be based on a Houweling’s greenhouse in Mona, Utah.
“What we’re studying is what it take to put infrastructure in place so (Houweling’s) can build a facility,” Garman said.
The Utah facility has excess heat and carbon dioxide from flue gas that’s pumped into a tomato greenhouse from the neighboring natural gas-fired power plant run by Rocky Mountain Power. It grows 457,000 bushels of tomatoes year-round and employs 120 people.
The potential North Dakota facility would produce enough to supply markets in Minnesota, Winnipeg and possibly Chicago.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com