Innovation Meets Carbon-Neutral

INNOVATION

Meets Carbon-Neutral

by Lee Griffi Growing up on a grain farm near Carman, Manitoba, Lyall Wiebe had no idea he would wind up selling products to farmers that run on biofuels, many of them made up of agricultural waste products. Triple Green Products makes a variety of heating, drying and dehydrating products that are economically viable and environmentally friendly, reducing carbon tax payouts and putting waste to good use. The company is relatively new in the agricultural manufacturing game, but they feel their innovative and environmentally friendly lineup of machinery will become the norm.

Wiebe, who is the general manager of Triple Green Products, said he saw incredible possibilities in some existing innovative products. “Just over two years ago my partners and I were able to acquire a company and along with that came several technologies and the rights to a product line we were also interested in and saw great potential. We knew if we were able to put the resources needed into improving the technology that we would have something that we could take to the next level.” Wiebe was working as a consultant for the company before the sale and his advice was direct to the then owner. “The previous owner was not willing to invest the money in the technologies needed to take it to the next level, so basically I told him to put a chain across the gate. I knew it would take the investment and a lot of hard work and if we were prepared to do that this could be a big deal.”

Cam Cornelson is a co-owner of the company and said many of their products are currently being outsourced to other manufacturers while the focus right now is to ramp up the sales. “We have dealer development reps in Canada and in the United States and we are actively working on setting up dealers and making sure that more people are aware of the product. Education is a big part of that.” He added that purchasing one of their products is a significant purchase, not an impulse buy.

The main selling point for Triple Green products ultimately amounts to cost savings and paying less carbon tax. Cornelson said customers can realize anywhere from 30 to 80 percent compared to fossil fuels and there is a quick return on investment (ROI). “The customer is interested in our product. It is a carbon-neutral solution, and it is better for the environment. It really is important to understand that the ROI is three to five years and this factor can vary slightly since fuel costs fluctuate. From a financial standpoint it’s huge.”

A Different Way to Dry

Conventional grain dryers use natural gas or propane as fuel. The basic concept around the BioDryAir grain drying system is to use biomass instead of fossil fuels. Propane is made up of 82 percent moisture and 66 percent natural gas, but Wiebe said there is a better way. “When grain is dried with those two fuels, the moisture is going into the grain you are trying to dry and leads to great inefficiencies. We can burn almost any type of biomass like oat, wheat or corn stover pellets. Farmers can use a hopper bottom bin and an auger, that feeds our system and it’s simple to use.”

One of the largest expenses for a farmer is in drying grain, something Wiebe says

TGF Natural Gas Boiler BioRoter Dehydrator

BioDryAir Grain Dryer

BioRoter Composter

“I think Canadians are certainly known as leaders in innovation, especially in Western Canada. If there is something needed or can be done better, it seems as though people’s ingenuity is alive and well and we will find a way.”

— Lyall Wiebe, General Manager,

Triple Green Products

A LONG WAY TOGETHER

is simply inefficient. “Our system means corn, for example, can be taken off the field sooner. Famers will often leave the crop on longer for some natural drying to take place.” He added that this system is a big, groundbreaking undertaking for Triple Green. “We believe this product will change the landscape on how the North American farmer will dry grain.”

Forced Air and Boiler Heating

The technology behind Triple Green Products heating systems has been out there for over 20 years, but the company believes it has vastly improved the product through the use of the latest technologies. “We are heating barns and huge greenhouses, all with carbonneutral biomass. Our forced air and boiler systems are inexpensive to operate and healthier in that mortality rates in animals have dropped,” said Wiebe. The company’s boilers operate with hot water or steam and can be used in a variety of applications. “We just finished a hog barn taking it off coal. The carbon tax on that operation was more costly than the coal itself. The farmer has decided to put the same system in his other barns as well. We are also installing a system into a large greenhouse operation near Hamilton, Ontario, that will put out 100 million BTUs of heat.” He added that both types of systems have a long life and require little maintenance.

Composting/Dehydrator

Mortality management in livestock operations has long been a difficult chore for farmers, with the risk of disease, odour and pest problems, as well as the threat of ground water contamination. Wiebe said Triple Green’s research and development into its BioRoter composter and dehydrator means turning mortalities into fuel. “If you have a hog operation for example, and you can deal with your own mortalities the dehydrator creates a closed loop. The mortalities are placed into the vessel and in 24 hours it’s biomass fuel.” He added that farmers could have a dead stock truck come to the operation and bring with it the potential of biohazards or a hole could be dug for disposal but changing laws in many municipalities have removed on-farm burial as a viable, legal option.

V-FLEXA

No matter how challenging your needs, V-FLEXA is your best ally for agricultural trailers, tankers and spreaders. This latest-generation product features VF technology, which enables the transport of heavy loads both in the fields and on the road at lower inflation pressure. V-FLEXA is a steel-belted tire with a reinforced bead that provides durability, excellent selfcleaning properties and low rolling resistance even at high speeds. V-FLEXA is BKT’s response for field and road transport with very heavy loads avoiding soil compaction.

For info:

Western Canada 604-701-9098 Eastern Canada 514-792-9220

New ADV_V-Flexa_CA_6x8,75, 0,125_AMC.indd 1

Bright Future

Wiebe believes the investments the company have made are important to the sector. “We thought it was of great value

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if we invested in newer technologies and be more environmentally friendly. We spent millions of dollars over the last couple years in research and development and focusing on new technologies.” He added that the timing could not have been any better for Triple Green with the focus on climate change and green. “We believe we have come out with products that will eventually be a mainstay on many farms.”

Cornelson said the company is looking to hire anywhere from 12 to 20 people, including engineers, sales and support staff, as they continue to grow. “We are excited about the future. We expect to be a significant player in this segment of the industry.”