At Gränsbo farm, own and others' potatoes are grown and packed.

The tubers are stored in giant warehouses until next summer when new potatoes are to be plucked from the soil.

In order for the potatoes not to germinate, the temperature must drop to a maximum of four degrees.

This requires a cooling system that is on around the clock.

But now the cooling plant may be shut down for short periods during the day when electricity consumption in society is at its highest.

- As long as you don't open the doors and let the cold out, the potatoes will survive if you turn off the cooling system for up to one hour per day, says farmer Elna Gränsbo.

One of six farms in study

Gränsbo Potatis is one of six farms participating in a preliminary study to see how electricity-intensive agricultural operations can contribute to equalizing electricity consumption during the day.

The idea is that Svenska Kraftnät should be able to step in and turn off the electricity in the potato grower's cooling plant if electricity needs to be freed up for energy-demanding industries or schools.

It is called the flex market and is about distributing the use of electricity more evenly throughout the day.

- Swedish power grids can step in and control parts of electricity use for a few seconds or minutes.

If there is a larger heating or cooling system on the farm, this usually has no significance for the business because the indoor temperature barely has time to be affected, says Peter Odhner, climate and energy strategist at the County Administrative Board Skåne.

Getting paid to shut down

The entire plant with production premises and cooling plant at Gränsbo gård uses approximately one million kilowatts per year.

And the high electricity price is visible on the electricity bills.

- I compared March 2021 with March 2022 and then the price had risen by 300 percent, even though we did not have as high a consumption, says Elna Gränsbo.

However, the business will be paid when the power is turned off.

- We get paid for how many kilowatt hours we spare during the year, says Elna Gränsbo.

In the clip above, you can hear Elna Gränsbo tell how the farm can contribute with electricity