top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

European first for Gironde tomato growers

Tender plants on eight-acre site kept warm by waste heat from neighbouring waste storage centre

The fact that tomatoes thrive at sewage farms is well known - but a tomato farm next to a waste storage centre in the Gironde has taken things to a new level.

Greenhouses in which tomatoes are grown at an eight-hectare site in Lapouyade, operated by Peasants de Rougeline, are kept warm by heat recovered from the neighbouring waste storage centre.

Biogas produced by the waste at the facility, which collects and stores 430,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste a year, is used to produce electricity which is sold to energy supplier EDF.

The heat produced by the turbines in turn keeps the tender greenhouse plants warm during cold periods. It is the first cluster of its kind in Europe, but Veolia the global resources management company that manages the area wants to replicate the model at other sites across France.

The company estimated that 10kg of waste will supply enough energy to produce 1kg of tomatoes, and said that the Gironde site could produce up to 5,000 tonnes of fruit a year. It has invested €5million in developing the tomato farm since 2014.

"It is the first centre of its kind in Europe and we will try to reproduce it elsewhere in France in partnership with greenhouse growers," says Sylvie Recrosio, Director of Recycling and Recovery for Veolia Aquitaine.

Peasants de Rougeline sell 70% of the fruit and vegetables they grow within a radius of 150km of the site.

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France