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| New developments for Seawater Greenhouse | |
| Simple physical principles lie behind the seawater greenhouse technology but its introduction requires a major change in thinking. After prototypes were tested in Gran Canarie, Abu Dhabi and Oman, the construction of a 2000m2 seawater greenhouse near Port Augusta on the Spencer Gulf in Southern Australia is almost finished. Infrastructure costs are said to be €500,000 partly offset by a grant from the Regional Development Infrastructure Fund within a larger horticultural project. The seawater greenhouse technology creates freshwater from seawater and sunlight. The system creates cooler temperatures in the greenhouse for growing horticultural crops and freshwater is made available for irrigation. In the case of this Australian plant the remainig salt will be sold as ‘gourmet salt crystals’. Fax: 0044 2072540306, E-mail: info@seawatergreenhouse.com, www.seawatergreenhouse.com Seawater greenhouses need to be placed on coastal areas near a source of seawater for cooling and strong prevailing winds. It is claimed that operating costs are 10-25% lower than for an ordinary greenhouse because irrigation water is free, there are no fossil fuel to purchase and the need for plant chemicals is reduced. Fixed costs are reduced by the same percentage because there are no costs for heating or cooling and cheaper land can be utilized. As a net result economic returns are said to be 15-35% greater. Further information: Fax: 0061 886436178, E-mail: info@seawatergreenhouse.com.au www.seawatergreenhouse.com.au This technology could have been tested for use in the huge production area (about 40.000ha) of Almeria is Southern Spain, because seawater greenhouses produce a surplus of freshwater, up to 5 times the amount required for irrigation. Similar physical principles are behind the conceived Sahara Forest Project that will use cencentrated solar power (CSP) to create steam to generate electricty and seawater evaporators to create cooler greenhouse temperatures and fresh irrigation water at the other end of the greenhouses where water vapour is condensed. Financial backing is being sought. www.saharaforestproject.com |
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