Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Tomatoes in an OriginO greenhouse. Oppy photo
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — One of the questions regarding geothermal power generation is can something else be done with the surplus heat involved, beyond generating electricity?
After all, the water underground is 126 C, and by the time the electrical generation is done, that water will be closer to 65 C. That’s still plenty warm enough to have some sort of application.
One possibility is to heat greenhouses. And it appears that’s now in the cards for the Deep Earth Energy Production Project, (DEEP) west of Estevan and near Torquay, Saskatchewan.
Oppy, grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce, announced its partnership with DEEP Earth Energy Production Corp. on April 23 to establish an integrated greenhouse in conjunction with Canada’s pioneering geothermal power facility. Oppy, formerly Oppenheimer Group, has been in operation for 165 years, according to its website. The company is majority-owned by Dole.
“This collaboration symbolizes a significant step forward combining sustainable energy and agriculture practices in the country,” the company said in release.
DEEP is set to develop Canada’s first-ever geothermal power facility in southeast Saskatchewan, within sight of the U.S. border. The location is strategically positioned near the CanAm and the Trans-Canada Highways for optimal distribution access to all four cardinal points, according to Oppy.
“With a vision to harness geothermal resources for clean energy production, DEEP aims to revolutionize power generation while fostering environmental stewardship,” Oppy said.
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Founder, president and CEO of DEEP Kirsten Marcia said, “We are looking forward to beginning the construction of this project after years of meticulous planning, once financing is secured. Our future collaboration with Oppy will mark a crucial step toward creating a sustainable future with this plant, marking an impact not only in power generation but in agriculture too.”
DEEP’s facility will use the Earth’s natural heat reservoirs, ensuring low-emission power generation to support its operations alongside its state-of-the-art greenhouse. This initiative, in partnership with Oppy, aims to establish an exciting new model of sustainable agriculture, channeling geothermal energy, heat and CO2 for year-round cultivation, Depp said.
Red peppers in a Perpetual Vegetable Co greenhouse. Oppy photo
Marcia was in Abbotsford, B.C., visiting Oppy’s greenhouse facilities on the day of the announcement. By phone she told Pipeline Online, “Part of our vision, from the start, is to not only produce clean, baseload power, but also use that natural heat to provide alternate economic opportunities such as greenhouses. This could be a massive job creation in the area as well. So, why not utilize what’s already there, apply it to agriculture and produce diversification in our agricultural sector in Estevan?”
As for that surplus heat after the power is generated, Marcia said, “We can take that 65 degrees Celsius down to almost 20 degrees, and apply it to the greenhouse operation.”
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“We’re thrilled to collaborate with DEEP,” said Oppy’s Category Director of Greenhouse Kevin Batt. “By integrating a greenhouse into their facility, we’re not only promoting local Canadian produce but also reducing environmental impact and food miles. This partnership symbolizes the future of farming, aligning with Oppy’s commitment to innovative practices.”
Tomatoes in an OriginO greenhouse. Oppy photo
Oppy has two green houses and a “vertical farming facility” in the British Columbia Lower Mainland. Their products are sold under the brand names Perpetual Vegetable Co., Origin Organic Farms and Up Vertical Farms.
Oppy’s vegetables from those existing farms include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce, as examples.
As for what would be grown at Torquay, Oppy marketing communications manager Kelsey Van Lissum told Pipeline Online it is undetermined as this time. They also have not yet determined the size of the planned greenhouse, nor how many people will be employed, as DEEP needs to proceed with their construction first.
Marcia said, “One of the major points of this story is it’s not just about building a greenhouse, in the produce industry. It’s about being able to sell and distribute that produce into various markets. And that’s really what Oppy is experts at. So they’re going to be the lead. And one of their biggest customers is Costco. And this allows this potential greenhouse development to have entry into the market at the very highest level early on.”
She was very impressed with the greenhouse operations she saw that day, up to 80 acres (32 hectares) in size, with plants up to 24 feet (7.3 metres) tall. “This is not a mom and pop operation,” she noted, pointing out that one of Oppy’s operations was shipping tens of thousands of boxes of peppers a week.
To that end, DEEP expects construction of their geothermal facility to be underway later this year. “Construction could commence this fall,” Marcia said.
She pointed out that significance of Schlumberger’s report of the positive viability of the project, made public last September. “Schlumberger signed off that our project will generated power for 40 years,” Marcia said. (Schlumberger recently changed its name to SLB.)
The construction will supported in part by Natural Resources Canada.
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