Navarre produces tomatoes "without soil" in a slurry plant

29 June 2006

The companies Ecoenergía Navarra, Ecoenergía Sistemas Alternativos and Cultivos de Navarra, inaugurated yesterday in Artajona (Navarre) a new pig-slurry treatment plant that works through electricity cogeneration. It is an innovative project that also produces dry fertiliser, energy and clean distilled water. The process’s residual heat is used to grow hydroponic (soil-less) tomatoes in greenhouses.

The plant expects to harvest 250 tonnes of tomatoes and produce about 300 tonnes of fertiliser this year.

The new plant will use extremely powerful engines (15 MW) similar to those used in ocean liners. It will operate for 8,100 hours a year and, in addition to meeting the process’s energy needs, it will contribute 15 megawatts per hour to the Iberdrola electricity grid.

The construction of the plant was carried out by Ghesa, through a turn-key project that represents an investment of 12 million euros, 45% of which have been contributed by Sodena, the venture company owned by the Government of Navarre and the Caja Navarra savings bank.

The inauguration was attended by representatives of the Government of Navarre, including the Regional Minister of Industry and Technology, José Javier Armendáriz; the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Javier Echarte; and the general manager of Sodena, José María Aracama, as well as the chairman of the new company group, Fernando González.

The new plant will provide 28 jobs.