After the harvest of tomatoes and peppers a mountain of green waste remains: stems, leaves and roots and there are the rejected products as well. Most of this is turned into compost now. But much more can be made of it. The Westland, a large production area in The Netherlands, want to realise a Biobased Park, where companies process green waste into new products: energy, vegetable juices, fibres and in time possibly cosmetics and medicines as well.
The Biobased Park will offer opportunities to entrepreneurs to enter this new branch of industry. The idea that horticulture produces far more than end products is growing. It is well known how heat from greenhouses is already being used again on a large scale. This is only the start. From rejected tomatoes and peppers vegetable juices, but also natural colour agents can be produced. Fibres from plant stems are used in building and packing material. In time plants may well be especially grown for things other than food: algae cultivation for organic oil, grain for organic plastic or flower bulbs for medical applications. DSM as well as other companies is involved in this research.
Fermentation and juicing
The Westland produces plenty of raw material for an industry based on organic waste. In order to stimulate this new branch of industry the municipality, Productschap Tuinbouw, LTO Westland and a number of private parties are working together on the development of a Biobased Park. At a central location a business area will be established, where plant material is delivered, separated and processed. The companies can obtain their own raw material from the stream of waste, after which the remaining pulp is fermented or made into compost.
Anticipating Biobased Park, juice producer Provalor, growers association FresQ and The Greenery took the initiative to realise an installation for the de-juicing of
Anticipating Biobased Park, juice producer Provalor, growers association FresQ and The Greenery took the initiative to realise an installation for the de-juicing of
Class III tomatoes and peppers. The juices can be the basis for pigments and vegetable juices.
Westland gas
Another public/private initiative looks at the building of a fermentation installation for waste material from horticulture and the vegetable processing industry, but also for fruit and vegetable waste and pruning waste. At fermentation, Biogas, heat and CO2 are freed. Biogas is a clean fuel and heat can be supplied to companies and households. When CO2 is directed back into the greenhouse it will not increase the greenhouse effect. After all plants use CO2.
Appeal to entrepreneurs
Appeal to entrepreneurs
The municipality Westland is requesting entrepreneurs in the biogas industry to orientate themselves on the future Biobased Park Westland. The can then be part of the development from the start and their special wishes realised in the grounds.
As expected the park will be operative from 2015.
Bio Base Westland
More information from Jeroen Straver, municipality Westland
0031 174 – 67 24 15
[email protected]
More information from Jeroen Straver, municipality Westland
0031 174 – 67 24 15
[email protected]
Source: Steenworp.nl