Pon Power News

The family concern of Floricultura is a worldwide market leader in orchid propagation material. With locations in Assendelft and Heemskerk the company specializes in breeding, selection and propagation of orchids. When an old Cat CHP plant in Heemskerk became redundant and had to be replaced by a critical power generator, a deal with Pon Power and Diesel Power Holland was quickly sealed. Pon Power News visited the orchid growers’ glasshouse and agreed; why make things difficult, when there’s an easy way?

FACTS & FIGURES

CLIENT

Floricultura

LOCATION

Schoone Orchideeën, Heemskerk

ASSIGNMENT

Replace old Cat Combined Heat Power Plant (CHP) by new C7.1 critical power generator

EXECUTION

Pon Power in conjunction with Diesel Power Holland

TEAMWORK BETWEEN PON POWER AND DIESEL POWER HOLLAND

SCHOONE ORCHIDEEËN: CRITICAL POWER GENERATOR REPLACES CHP PLANT

“It was nice to see that a colleague’s request and the input of a sister company resulted in a very satisfied customer, in no time at all.”

Jacqueline Hoogervorst

Accountmanager, Pon Power

RESOLUTE DECISION

Having taken this resolute decision, no time was wasted in finding a replacement for the existing system. Brinks: “After collecting several offers, Pon Power’s proposal stood out immediately. Especially, since it offered combining the work with its sister company, Diesel Power Holland. They would dismantle and remove the old installation, and Pon Power would come in and install the new C7.1. They also offered a very reasonable trade-in value for the old system, so we didn’t have to think long.” Explains Jacqueline Hoogervorst, Account Manager EPG at Pon Power: “The old CHP was very welcome at Diesel Power Holland. That’s why we could make Fred an appealing offer for the new C7.1, and relieve him of a lot of work. After all, why make things difficult if there’s an easy way?” Brinks, apparently, had the same outlook. In mid-May the new C7.1 was installed and the system was successfully commissioned a few days later. And, at only a quarter of the size of its predecessor, there’s a good bit of space left on the concrete slab. 'I’m sure we’ll find a purpose for that, too, ha-ha!', beams Brinks.”

“This was a perfectly smooth running project from start to finish. It’s good being able to work like that.”

Fred Brinks

Hoofd Technische Dienst Floricultura

FACTS & FIGURES

GREENHOUSE WITHOUT GAS

The largest glasshouse complex of Schoone Orchideeën, a subsidiary company of Floricultura, is situated at the Strengweg in Heemskerk. The complex covers 10 hectares and is a so-called ‘greenhouse without gas’, with an underground thermal energy storage system. This new system had made the Cat combined heat and power plant (CHP), which had run almost continuously at full throttle since it was built in 2000, redundant. Explains Fred Brinks, Head of the Technical Department at Floricultura: “The old CHP was gas fired and it delivered both heat and power. The heat was used in the glasshouses and the electricity was fed back into the grid. But, because we’re now linked to the geothermal energy project, we no longer need the old system for generating heat.”

A side benefit of a CHP plant is that it also serves as critical power source, and the existing CHP had that function. The system could have been maintained to perform that role, but, after 16 years of loyal service, required reconditioning. Brinks, pragmatically, sat down and had a good look at the figures. “Basically there were two options: overhaul the existing system, or replace it by an critical power generator. The equation was crystal clear; replacing was cheaper than fixing. It was that simple.”