Freshbay has signed a definitive agreement with Novus Earth for their Geothermal Controlled Environment Agriculture project outside of Hinton, Alta., a July 8 news release said. The $29,000,000 agreement follows another definitive agreement signing with Affinor Growers two weeks ago.
The release noted that Novus Earth is an Alberta-based sustainable renewable energy solutions corporation that uses geothermal heat and power through its proprietary closed-loop system. The Hinton project will see Freshbay, Affinor Growers, and Novus Earth worth together and will include a closed loop geothermal energy, advanced vertical farming, and sustainable operational practices. This will establish a niche in the emerging field of GeoCEA (Geothermal Controlled Environment Agriculture).
The facility will be a geothermal-heated, cogeneration powered, agriculture facility, spanning approximately 864,000 square feet, the release said. It will feature state-of-the-art vertical farming systems, using Novus Earth’s geothermal energy solutions to provide a sustainable and reliable source of heat and power.
To start off the facility will focus on growing Affinoria Fragaria strawberries. The closed loop geothermal technology will enable the production of premium strawberries year-round.
Construction of the GeoCEA facility will start in the later half of 2023, with plans for full operation by summer 2024, the release said.
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