[Newspoetry] Mega-Artichokes to Power Homes?FWD

[Sam Patterson]

Mega-Artichokes to Power Homes?
Updated: Thu, Apr 27 11:55 AM EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Spanish farmers are growing three-meter high artichokes
for burning
in special power stations to produce electricity, the Independent newspaper
reported on
Thursday.

The genetically-modified monster vegetables, which boast seven meter roots,
will be
generating power for 60,000 people when operations in the northern towns of
Villabilla de
Burgos and Alcala de Gurrea begin in two years.

The newspaper said twin power stations will burn 105,000 tonnes of the dried
and pulped
Cynara Cardunculs each year.

Farmers were persuaded to sow the prickly plant by EU subsidies and price
guarantees
from the electricity generator.

Burning plants for energy is not a new idea, but the biomass sector has seen
a revival in
recent years as environmental concerns rise.

While there are already a number of biomass schemes in Europe they often
struggle to
compete commercially with other green energy schemes.

An Irish scheme to burn cannabis as a fuel foundered last year because of it
was
considered too expensive compared with wind power projects.






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