Date of visit: 15 October 2007
Venue: L F Geater & Sons Limited, West End
Nurseries, Westward Ho, Leiston.
Tour leader: Mr Ron Geater.
All the techniques we
use to produce energy use the earth’s resources and pollute
land, air and water. And while we can all decrease our demand
by being more efficient there are few that would argue that we
should drastically alter our lifestyles to really cut energy
use. This means that we have to look at our practises and
decide what we consider essential. And what, out of the mix of
energy available to us (solar, wind, hydro, biofuels, fossil
fuels or nuclear) provides the most energy at the best price
while doing the least damage. The Greenprint Forum visited
West End Nurseries in Leiston to see how a local business was
applying this thinking.
At West End Nurseries in Leiston,
flowers like lisianthus and chrysanthemums are grown to be
sold nationally and when the weather gets cold the vast
greenhouses need to be heated. Traditionally oil was used but
increasing energy prices convinced its owner Mr Geater that it
was time to look at alternatives. Straw became the fuel of
choice due to its lower cost and local supply and its reduced
environmental impact. It is a resource that is rapidly renewed
unlike coal, peat, and oil and is considered carbon neutral as
the CO2 released when energy is generated from
biomass is balanced by
that absorbed during its growth.
The visit was fascinating and Mr Geater took us to see the straw
storage area with the 15 bale conveyor belt and the self cleaning
mega shredder which loosens the straw before it is fed
automatically when needed into a cyclone and then through a rotary
air lock and stoker screw conveyor to the boiler. The heat
generated by this is used to warm water which is stored in an
insulated tank and then passed into the greenhouses. The ash
produced makes a good fertilizer for local farms.
It has not all been plain sailing.
All technologies come with a large capital expenditure and
teething problems and conditions under environmental
protection regulations that were not needed with the old
heating system had to be met. There are also ongoing concerns
about cheap supply of straw when yields are low due to bad
weather. However as Mr Geater showed us his beautiful flowers
in the greenhouses he was optimistic that the technology was
sound and it would prove a good investment.
View the photo gallery of the
visit.