UK Power Reserve has bought an organic pepper farm to add to its energy balancing service to the national grid.

There’s no vegetating for the Combined Heat and Power plant at the Cantelo Nurseries in Somerset.

Its 10 megawatt (MW) gas fired plant provides carbon dioxide and heat for the greenhouse where the peppers are grown.

It also gives spare power capacity to the National Grid’s Balancing Services as required.

The power reserve company has previously worked with the farm and wanted to make their co-operation permanent.

Tim Emrich, CEO of UKPR said: “Our partnership with Cantelo Nurseries demonstrated the ways in which a non-energy business can play a role in the UK energy mix and contribute towards the UK’s security of supply.”