The following is a guest article by Ronald Stein and Sid Abma.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers are coming, and so are the natural gas power plants that will be required to provide continuous, uninterruptible electricity to power many of these facilities. These power plants today can operate at well over 90% energy efficiency.
The natural gas power plant that produces electricity can further benefit humanity through the waste exhaust that would normally be put into a chimney and vented into the atmosphere, which is a waste of heat and CO₂.
Rather than exhausting hot gases up power plant chimneys, the exhaust can be utilized in greenhouses, typically through a cogeneration system. The recovered heat energy can be used to warm greenhouses, and the CO₂ fertilizes the plants, all contributing to feeding the world’s population.
A Combined Heat and Power (CHP) power plant, also known as cogeneration, is a highly efficient energy system that simultaneously produces both electricity and useful heat from a single fuel source. The process involves using a “prime mover,” such as a gas turbine or engine, to generate electricity and then capturing the waste heat from the prime mover for thermal applications like heating or cooling buildings. This integrated approach significantly increases energy efficiency and reduces fuel consumption compared to generating heat and power separately, leading to lower operating costs and fewer carbon emissions.
The CHP process in the power plant involves treating the exhaust with catalytic converters to reduce any harmful components in the exhaust.
• Exhaust Gas Treatment: The exhaust gas is passed through a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit and an oxidation catalyst to remove pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC).
Within the combusted exhaust is heat energy that was not used to create electricity. The Sidel SRU Flue Gas Condenser was developed in the early 1980s to recover the waste heat energy from the exhaust of boilers used to heat these commercial greenhouses.
Today, over 2.5 million square feet of greenhouses are using this “recovery of wasted heat” technology every day to increase energy efficiency and provide cooled CO₂. The cooled exhaust CO₂ is being used in commercial greenhouses for CO₂ enrichment. Even the water created in the exhaust has a purpose. The Sidel SRU Flue Gas Condenser is being used today in many other applications such as processing plants, hospitals, petrochemical plants, universities, commercial laundries, and state prisons.
To make the most of the elements from future power plants’ combusted natural gas exhaust, a greenhouse becomes a perfect partner. The SRU-recovered heat energy will be piped over and used to maintain the perfect growing environment for a multitude of different food crops. The CO₂ in the exhaust will be piped over and injected into these growing environments as a fertilizer that will increase fruit and vegetable size and quantity. The condensate water will have nutrients added and then be used to irrigate these crops.
Applying this technology in power plant applications is a natural forward progression. In Utah, at the Current Creek power plant, this technology is being applied today, heating 30 acres of commercial greenhouses owned by Houweling Nurseries.
All this happens because the owners of the power plant decided to improve their energy efficiency from 50% to 97% by redirecting the combusted exhaust and utilizing the heat energy, CO₂, and water for better uses.
Utilizing the wasted heat in the exhaust from natural gas power plants can support countless greenhouses to help feed America and the world’s population.
The AI centers, data centers, power plants, and greenhouses will operate for generations, providing good-paying community jobs to parents, children, and grandchildren—and food for the population.
The technology of condensing flue gas heat recovery provides beneficial use for heat and emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This increases plant yield while reducing the economic costs of energy for the greenhouse.
Everyone wins—with produced electricity and food.
• Increased Plant Growth: Elevated CO₂ levels in greenhouses accelerate plant growth and increase harvest yields.
• Reduced Energy Costs: By recovering waste heat from the exhaust for heating, operating costs for greenhouses can be significantly reduced.
• Sustainable Operation: This closed-loop system reuses byproducts, turning potential pollutants into valuable resources for plant cultivation.
Greenhouse Benefits:
• CO₂ Fertilization: The carbon dioxide from the exhaust is naturally used by the plants—a process known as CO₂ enrichment—which can significantly boost plant growth and yield.
• Heating: The heat from the exhaust provides efficient heating for the greenhouse.
Utilizing the exhausted energy from power plant stacks is a win-win situation for all. This is possible because power plants improved their energy efficiency to 97% simply by utilizing the exhaust—the heat and CO₂ emissions. A good deal for everybody.
• The new AI centers and data centers are going to create many new jobs.
• The new power plants are going to create numerous local professional jobs.
• The new greenhouses will help feed the world’s growing population and create hundreds of well-paying jobs for the local community.
Utilizing waste heat that is normally exhausted from power plant stacks can support countless greenhouses to help feed the world’s population. It also reduces wasted natural gas.
