A WORLD FIRST ProSelect Gas Treating Inc., a partnership between Sun Select and Procede BV of the Netherlands, has unveiled the GC6 Carbon Cap-ture System, which they claim is the world’s first carbon capture system for the greenhouse industry. “It’s an all-in-one solution for the environment and economi-cal for greenhouse growers,” says Reinhold Krahn of Sun Select. “It eliminates emission of pollutants and transforms the captured carbon into food grade CO 2 .” Wood waste is burned in a Vincke boiler. The 180°C gas from the burning process goes to a flue where it is filtered and cooled to 60°C, then into an absorption chamber where the CO 2 is absorbed by a fully reusable patented organic solvent, which effectively glues itself to the CO 2 . The remaining vapour, now stripped of its carbon, exits from the top of the column (“Don’t call it a smokestack because it’s just harm-less vapour,” insists Reinhold’s brother Victor, CEO of ProSelect). The CO 2 is then sent to a desorption column where it is “boiled off” at 120°C and sent to the plants as required. Two computers control the entire system, one at the boiler and the other in the greenhouse. “It’s really quite simple,” Victor says. “First we absorb the CO 2 , then we desorb it. We can strip out up to five tonnes of CO 2 per hour.” ProSelect spent about $5 million developing the system, aid-ed by grants of $2.24 million from B.C.’s ICE (Innovative Clean Energy) Fund and $1 million from Sustainable Development Tech-nology Canada’s SD Tech Fund. HELP FROM GOVERNMENT TOP: “It’s an all-in-one solution for the environment and economical for greenhouse growers,” says Rein-hold Krahn of Sun Select, with brother Victor Krahn on right. BOTTOM: The ProSelect vertical desorption system. RIGHT: A schematic of the green carbon capture system at ProSelect. Noting government’s role is to “support green innovation,” B.C. Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell (a former min-ister of agriculture), is “excited” about the opportunity the new made-in-Canada technology offers B.C. greenhouse growers. “Our goal is to create a sustainable legacy for growers in B.C.,” Reinhold says, pointedly telling Bell, “We hope governments will continue to support this initiative by offering growers incentives to adopt it.” But it is not a cheap option. Even though development costs are no longer part of the equa-tion, Victor estimates it would cost “about four million dollars” to install a system large enough for a 40-acre greenhouse from scratch. “The cost would be less if you already have a wood boiler and want to retrofit it.” Despite the cost, the Krahns are now planning to in-stall it at their 30-acre greenhouse in Aldergrove, which already has a wood boiler. The reason? They believe it is cost-effective. “It reduces our energy and carbon cost by 50 per cent,” Reinhold says. Part of that reduced cost is the carbon credits they will be able to sell, says James Tansey, CEO of Offsetters. A leading provider of carbon-management solutions, Offset-ters is working with ProSelect and Sun Select to bundle carbon credits from the new technology. “I hope this serves as an example for other industries,” Tansey says. “A challenge can be a huge opportunity.” • David Schmidt is a freelance writer and photographer in British Columbia. JULY/AUGUST 2012 28 Canadian BIOMASS
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