Interview Bejo Magazine 2022

Recently, our agronomist Frank van der Linden, Storage Coach & Trainer, gave an interview for the Bejo Magazine. Among other things, he spoke about our innovations for condens drying and ventilation. 

OMNIVENT: FOR OPTIMAL STORAGE

Omnivent is a Dutch specialist in ventilation technology for the storage of agricultural products,  and a worldwide market leader in its field. Started more than fifty years ago with flower bulbs, the successful company in the potato sector has extended its skills to onions, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

“Each installation is tailor-made for the customer, who also benefits from free support, even training if desired”, explains Frank van der Linden, agronomist and storage coach, accustomed to working in French-speaking countries. The Omnivent company supplies a complete storage system up to its installation in the building, including cables, a storage computer, and a mobile app.

A large part of the elements is produced in its two factories in the Netherlands, one dedicated to the design and manufacture of fans, cables, sensors, and heaters, the second in refrigeration, or in its third factory in Poland for the wooden boxes and structures.

For four years, the new Omnivent condensation drying system has been in the news: “with which you can continue to dry, even if the outside conditions are unfavorable for drying, explains Frank van der Linden. This is very interesting for long-day onions, where global warming leads to climatic conditions which are too dry or too humid, and hotter than in the past in September and October”.

This drying technique uses the energy which is released by the outside cooling compressor and which is used to warm up the dry and cold air which leaves the evaporator inside the storage cell. “For storages that already have a cooling system, adding this system is not that expensive!”, he adds.

Innovation is in the company’s DNA. The research department has developed a new generation of fans, the so-called PM fans. They can be equipped with a frequency drive. “Lowering the speed by 10% saves 30% of electricity”. In this usual partnership between Bejo and De Groot en Slot in the Netherlands, this Onion Day will promote exchanges with producers and French technicians. In a similar way, the Omnivent newsletter will be available soon in the French language.

From: Magazine de l’oignon Bejo édition 2022

Click here to read the original article in French (PDF).