Thanet Earth Sustainability Assessment Report Presented by Bidwells Agribusiness

Transcription

1 Thanet Earth Sustainability Assessment Report Presented by Bidwells Agribusiness Thanet Earth Marketing commissioned industry specialists Bidwells Agribusiness to assess the overall sustainability of the Thanet Earth site and the supply of products to customers. Greg Hilton led the research with the objective of providing an independent and verifiable assessment of the baseline position of the project. The carbon emissions, or carbon footprint, associated with the supply of Thanet Earth vegetables to customers were measured using the recently released PAS 2050 guidelines 1. The study also set out to identify opportunities to further improve the efficiency and sustainability of the site. The study assessed all the various materials, construction processes and operations contributing to greenhouse gas emissions for Thanet Earth and compared these against alternative sources and techniques, including other UK production and overseas crops grown in Spain, Italy, Israel, Poland and Holland using the PAS 2050 assessment criteria. KEY FINDINGS Peppers and cucumbers grown at Thanet Earth have very low carbon emissions; they have a lower carbon footprint than current alternative sources. Tomatoes grown without lights at Thanet Earth have very low carbon emissions; they have a lower carbon footprint than the Mediterranean sources studied. Tomatoes grown at Thanet Earth with lights have a similar carbon footprint to UK grown tomatoes without lights or CHP. The use of combined heat and power (CHP) actually contributes a negative carbon emission towards the total measured Thanet Earth carbon footprint. The power is produced more efficiently than most other forms of UK power generation because it utilises both the heat and electricity produced by the 1 PAS2050, published by the British Standards Institute and the Carbon Trust in 2008, is the recognised standard for the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the supply of goods and services

2 fuel. Both DEFRA and the PAS2050 standard recognise this carbon reduction and build it into their measurement criteria. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS The data has been compiled considering growing operation emissions, packhouse emissions, waste disposal emissions and transport emissions. The emissions associated with the materials used to build the glasshouses at Thanet Earth and at overseas sources has also been considered. GHG emissions from alternative cucumber sources relative to Thanet Earth Thanet Earth N. Europe (no CHP) Spain (Thanet Earth = 1) GHG emissions from alternative pepper sources relative to Thanet Earth Thanet Earth N. Europe (no CHP) Spain (Thanet Earth = 1)

3 GHG emissions from alternative tomato sources relative to Thanet Earth Thanet Earth (no lights) Thanet Earth (with lights) N. Europe (no lights, no CHP) Poland (coal fired, no lights) Spain (no lights, unheated) (Thanet Earth with lights =1) POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS Bidwells were also asked to recommend further potential improvements to the overall site sustainability. Their recommendations were as follows: Use a proportion of renewable energy sources wind, biomass and energy from waste to power CHP, recognising that it would not be practical to operate the whole site with renewable energy at this time. Use LED glasshouse lights Grow higher yielding varieties Improve transport efficiency Use renewable substrate as a growing medium The use of biomass CHP as a source of energy for Thanet Earth is under investigation, with a number of different technologies under consideration. LED lighting is still under commercial trials in Holland with Kaaij Redstar having the world s largest horticultural research project and will be installed if considered commercially effective.

4 At present, Rockwool substrate is used as a growing medium. It is recyclable but not a renewable resource. Coir (coconut fibre) would be a renewable, compostable material to use. Growers at Thanet Earth are running trials. NEXT STEPS This carbon model will be validated during Thanet Earth operations. The site will look for certification to the PAS 2050 standard The water footprinting study will be piloted and formalised Viability of renewable energy supply and consumables will be assessed. FERTILISER USE The production techniques employed at Thanet Earth mean fertiliser can be used more efficiently than some alternative sources. Optimum levels of fertiliser can be applied to the crop in a targeted manner ensuring the plant can efficiently use the nutrients it receives to boost yields. The advanced drainage systems ensure that runoff is collected and recycled reducing fertiliser wastage. This differs from other less efficient systems which typically waste over half of the applied nutrients through run off. Compared directly, kg of fertiliser used per kg of crop produced, the following findings are announced: Typical Spanish producers use between 3.5 and 4.5 times more fertiliser on tomatoes than Thanet Earth. Typical Spanish producers use between 5 and 7 times more fertiliser on peppers than Thanet Earth Typical Spanish producers use up to 14 times more fertiliser per equivalent output on cucumbers than Thanet Earth. WATER USE Preliminary water footprint data (awaiting verification) indicates that traditional Spanish producers of tomatoes will use on average 17 times more water per kg of

5 production than Thanet Earth. This is due to Thanet Earth using rainwater capture and recycling irrigation water. NOTE: For further information on the Thanet Earth Sustainability Assessment Report, as presented by Bidwells Agribusiness, please contact Mel Beeby, Kelly Davis or Richard Cook at Bray Leino on or e mail mbeeby@brayleino.co.uk / kdavis@brayleino.co.uk / rcook@brayleino.co.uk