Where we stand today
Greenhouses need to be heated, preferably with as little reliance on fossil fuels as possible. Many growers currently use combined heat and power (CHP) systems: efficient energy plants at the growing facilities that produce heat, electricity and CO₂ for the plants. As an alternative source of heat, an increasing number of our growing locations have access to geothermal energy. At one location, crops are also grown using residual heat from industry.
Marcel van der Knaap supplies 2.8 million kilograms of tomatoes each year. His greenhouse operation in Honselersdijk is part of the Trias Westland project, a regional geothermal energy initiative that uses geothermal heat to heat greenhouses. Geothermal energy is a fossil-free source of heat.
The region is working on the development of a district heating network using multiple heat sources. This will increase security of supply. At Roots, geothermal energy currently meets 27% of the total heat demand.
Van der Knaap expects that reducing the use of fossil-based heat will be essential to continuing to supply customers in the future.
geothermal
heating Maasdijk
In 2022 a geothermal heating project in Maasdijk was carried out that will enable over 400 hectares of greenhouse space to switch to sustianable heating using the Earth’s interior heat.
Eleven members are members of the Maasdijk heat cooperative.