In an effort to produce enough food for the global population, traditional agriculture is taking up more and more farmland. At the same time, the sector puts a strain on the environment as it is responsible for monocultures and relies on large amounts of fertilizer and pesticides. Indoor farming, on the other hand, serves as a more efficient alternative that takes up much less space. However, this approach requires growing media that are adapted to these unique conditions. Pure Life Carbon, a Canadian company based in Alberta, has therefore developed carbon-based growing media that are CO2-negative and take up 90% less material volume during plant cultivation.
The process
In order to produce sustainable growing media, Pure Life Carbon first subjects bamboo to very high temperatures and turns it into carbon. The carbon is then transferred to tanks where it is enriched with nutrients that are essential for indoor farming. This is achieved with a mixture of process water and special chemicals that transform simple the simple carbon into a sustainable growing medium. To make the production process itself more efficient, the company then collects the used process water and purifies it in a filtration plant before using it for the next production cycle.
A complete solution for automation
Pure Life Carbon uses a modern piping solution consisting of valves, actuators, measuring technology, and controllers by GF Piping Systems. This ecosystem is responsible for transporting the carbon from large silos to the tanks where it is then enriched with nutrients. At the same time, the system transports the process water to the filtration plant for treatment. Closing the entire control loop with the help of process automation significantly reduces the water usage of the production plant and therefore makes it much more efficient. By choosing lightweight and corrosion-free plastic components, Pure Life Carbon also benefits from a long-lasting and sustainable piping system that requires very little maintenance. In addition, a close collaboration with GF Piping Systems means that the forward-looking company can continuously optimize the production processes for their innovative growing media.
