greenhouse
First ask how heavy the roof washer should be
A grower is likely to have a problem if a slightly too heavy roof washer or chalking machine is driven over a greenhouse roof that is slightly too weak. The damage from distorted gutters is not immediately visible but it will become apparent during a storm or heavy snowfall. Then the question is what caused it? But you really don’t want to end up in such a discussion.
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Inventive system extracts CO2 out of the air for greenhouse horticulture
The Swiss start-up Climeworks is developing a system that extracts CO2 out of the air for greenhouse horticulture purposes. The system will be tested during a three-year pilot and should be able to capture some 2 to 3 tons of CO2 on a daily basis. This will be piped to a nearby greenhouse to boost the growth of lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes, according to New Scientist magazine.
The system, called Direct Air Capture (DAC), captures air in closed spaces, such as submarines and space capsules. The captured ambient air is pushed through a fibrous sponge-like filter material that has been impregnated with chemicals derived from ammonia. Once the filter is saturated, the gas will be released by warming it with the heat which is in this case generated by a nearby municipal waste incineration plant. The CO2 thus released is then piped to a 4-hectare greenhouse.
High costs
According to calculations made by the American Physical Society the cost of capturing CO2 on this scale would be 600 dollars a ton, says Climeworks COO Dominique Kronenberg. The Swiss start-up also expects to equal that and eventually get costs down well below that. At that price, taking C02 out of the air is more expensive than removing it from the flue gases of industrial facilities and power plants, where the gas is up to 300 times more concentrated.
Location independent
Despite the high price, Kronenberg notes the many advantages to the DAC process. ‘The advantage of taking it out of the ambient air is that it can be done no matter where you are on the planet. We are not dependent on a source of CO2, so neither will we need to make high costs to transport the CO2 to the greenhouses.’ Climeworks will be using funding from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy to fine-tune the system. The objective of the three-year pilot period is to make the system run more cheaply and efficiently and, in doing so, enable the company to gain a solid foot on the market.
Source: Newscientist.com
Bom Group introduces Winterlight Greenhouse concept: 10% more light
BOM Group will present a completely new greenhouse concept at the Greentech: the Winterlight Greenhouse. This concept, in combination with a new type of screen system by Svensson and light-diffusing glass, yields 10% more light.
The Winterlight Greenhouse, with all its installations, systems and products is currently built on the site of Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk and will measure 500 m2. This coming winter the greenhouse concept will be tested with a new cultivation method for a cucumber crop, focusing on the winter period. Crop trials are conducted with the cucumber variety Hi-Jack. This variety is especially suitable for winter cultivation because of its leaf shape and direction.
Reflection factor
The newly designed greenhouse structure is fully powder coated in white with an increased reflection factor of 90%. The greenhouse is glazed with SmartGlass, a new type of diffuse glass, sized 300 x 167 cm. Even if the glass is wet or condensed, the light transmittance does not decrease. The integrated Iso++ screen system is installed in a W-shape for optimal light transmission in closed position and is equipped with a new high transparent screen fabric of Ludvig Svensson with an even better light transmission. The new greenhouse concept is also equipped with an Air in Control climate system (overpressure air).
Consortium
The Winterlight Greenhouse was developed in collaboration with Wageningen UR, Svensson, Bayer Crop Science and Glascom Horticulture. The project has been made possible by the program Kas als Energiebron, the innovation and action program of LTO Glaskracht and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
BOM Group will present the new greenhouse concept at the GreenTech, hall 8, stand 108.
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Revolutionary greenhouse technology delivers higher yield and better quality
Japanese producer Kagome has recently completed its first season with a new tomato greenhouse complex designed and built by the Japanese company Daisen in close collaboration with a Dutch firm. The high-tech turnkey project comprises approximately 2 ha and is based on a revolutionary growing concept which uses innovative technologies to control the greenhouse climate. This makes it possible to grow crops in ideal conditions, boosting yield whilst also reducing energy usage and water consumption.
“The first ‘seed’ for the Kagome project was planted back in 2007, when Casey Houweling patented and launched Ultra-Clima technology in California, USA,” explains Robert Keijzer from Kubo, the Dutch firm which provides technical expertise and exclusively represents the concept worldwide. “One of our first customers for this concept was Peter Satow, an experienced British crop consultant who has his own tomato greenhouse facility in the South of France.”
Japan’s biggest tomato producer
Tokyo-based Kagome had been working with Peter Satow as a crop consultant since 2007. Kagome now had ambitious plans to build a high-tech, 2 ha greenhouse to expand its tomato production facility based in Akeno-cho, Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot of the Japanese Alps.
“The climate in Akeno-cho is similar to the conditions in southern France: mild conditions in winter and spring but hot and humid summers – both during the day and at night – which has a negative impact on production,” explains Keijzer. “Peter Satow understood the challenges Kagome faced and could wholeheartedly recommend the new concept to solve them. He introduced Kagome to us in 2013.”
Established in 1899, Kagome is specialised in the manufacture and sale of condiments, foods and beverages, and the purchase, manufacture and sale of seeds, seedlings, processed vegetables and fruits. The firm is Japan’s biggest tomato producer based on market share and employs over 2,300 people. “We sell almost all our fresh tomatoes to supermarkets, with food service accounting for less than 5% of our business,” says Satoshi Harada, project manager at Kagome. “We have been fully focused on the domestic Japanese market so far, but we are currently running some export trials in Hong Kong too.”
Financial challenges
One of the biggest challenges in this project was of a financial nature, as Harada explains: “The exchange rate was terrible for us. It increased from around 90JPY/euro in 2013 to 140JPY/euro in 2014. This meant that by the time the financing was approved in 2014, there was a gap in the budget. In close consultation with the project partners, we cut back on components such as the heat storage tank and roof washer to reduce the overall project costs without compromising on quality.”
Building work finally started on the foundations in June 2014. “The foundations were another very important aspect of this project since the greenhouse facility had to satisfy strict Japanese requirements for earthquake resistance,” adds Harada. The construction of the greenhouse itself started at the beginning of September. The greenhouse is 6.7 metres high and comprises 1.9 ha. It contains seven rows of gutters in 12 metres. All the systems were installed on schedule and on budget, amounting to a total investment of approximately EUR3 million. Planting took place at the end of December 2014.
Active ventilation
The ventilation system is standard Ultra-Clima including side ventilation with some top ventilation for blow out. Insect screens are installed outside the side ventilation and top ventilation. The greenhouse is designed to produce the maximum result at every moment of the day thanks to optimal temperature, humidity, sunlight and CO2 efficiency. A number of factors combine to make the concept so unique. “A system of special fans and air hoses, which can be precisely managed, distributes the air along perforated double-wall ducts which run beneath each gutter. This circulates the air to all the plants in the greenhouse and this active ventilation creates a uniform climate throughout the greenhouse environment. Outside air is fed into the greenhouse and, if necessary, is first cooled to the optimum temperature for tomatoes. Furthermore, the generation of overpressure helps to keep insects out, thus lessening the need for crop protection measures,” explains Keijzer.
Heating costs reduced by 20%
The greenhouse in Akeno-cho is based on a semi-closed design. Reducing the number of air vents has allowed more natural sunlight and heat to reach the plants to stimulate maximum production. “The light transmission is better than in traditional set-ups because there is less top ventilation. Also, thanks to improved climate control, we can keep a higher CO2 concentration than in traditional systems, and for longer. Air circulation in the greenhouse is good for activating plants – it creates a more active mode for photosynthesis and increases their absorption,” comments Harada.
The greenhouse includes LPG heating in the corridor only (not with base pipe). In terms of energy efficiency, the use of convection heating using a heat exchanger is more fuel-effective and produces lower CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the active ventilation system brings in drier air from outside, thus reducing the amount of energy needed to dehumidify the air. All air in the greenhouse is also extracted, treated and re-circulated through the advanced network of air ducts, which minimises the loss of heat and CO2. “We’ve reduced our heating costs by around 20% compared with traditional systems,” adds Harada. Last but not least, the reuse of water guarantees minimal use of valuable water resources.
First-season results
The temperature control and humidity regulation of the Ultra-Clima system enabled Kagome to continue production during the challenging summer months in 2015. “This helped us to achieve the highest production (yield/m2) of tomatoes in Japan in the first year,” comments Harada. “At over 70 kilos per square metre, the first-season harvest was approximately 20% higher than other production locations, and the target for next year is around 80 kg/m2. Naturally, the tomatoes from the new greenhouse comply with the strict quality standards applied by us and our clients,” he adds. “We have collaborated with Daisen on several other projects in the past and we regard the company as the best partner for Kagome. We also had good experience of working with Kubo, the only company that can build this concept, on this project and are very satisfied with the results,” concludes Harada.
Summary
In 2014, Japanese tomato grower Kagome built a brand-new 2 ha greenhouse facility in Akeno-cho, at the foot of the Japanese Alps. In view of the mild winters and hot and humid summers, the company chose to install the high-tech Ultra-Clima climate management system to optimise production all season long. By the end of the first season, the yield was up by approximately 20% while maintain the same level of quality. Meanwhile, Kagome’s heating costs had been reduced by around one fifth.
Text: Lynn Radford. Photos: KUBO
‘Plants are not just a number, they are very personal’
JD Propagation, of Victoria, Australia, had planned to pay off its first four greenhouses in five years. In fact, the business has grown so fast that within six years it has paid off its 13th house. Attention to detail, including inspecting and handling each individual plant, so customers receive top quality plants sets the company apart.
Dan Patience is passionate about his plants. He admits he has been obsessed with plants since he was 15 years old, so it was natural that he should work in horticulture including for some of Australia’s largest bedding plant and shrub nurseries. In 2009, Dan and his wife Jenny decided to start their own nursery.
They bought a paddock on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, a region rich in horticulture and home to some of their biggest customers. The climate is almost perfect, occasionally in winter it drops to minus 2-3 degrees and there is always a gentle sea breeze.
Natural gas
“We started with four greenhouses with money borrowed against their house. Luckily one customer placed orders before we even started!” His business plan was to pay off the first four houses in five years, but with a growing reputation this happened a lot faster. “We’ve grown in line with customer demand and just finished the 13th house in six years.”
JD Propagation began growing herbs and bedding plants, such as calibrachoas, geraniums and verbenas from cuttings, and did some deflasking of tissue culture. Today it produces 3,000 product lines, about 5% of which are unrooted cuttings, 80% vegetative cuttings and rest are seed-produced plugs.
These are raised in ten double skinned poly growing houses, with energy screens and southwest facing window vents, that measure four metres to the gutter. This creates a good environment, says Dan Patience. The houses are heated using natural gas and the main heater in the growing house with lighting also produces carbon dioxide. The nursery also has two mother stock houses and the latest addition was a nucleus greenhouse, all three of which are fully screened against insects.
Insect screening
“Our biggest weakness used to be the absence of insect screening so it was getting harder and harder to guarantee the virus integrity of our stock. We now have two insect screened mother plant houses totaling 1,200 m2,” he says. These were detached from each other but the latest house was built in between and attached to the two. This now accommodates nucleus material.
“We buy virus index material from international breeders overseas once or twice a year. We put this stock directly into the nucleus house and use it purely to take cuttings for the mother stock. Only two staff members are allowed to enter the house and they sterilize their tools after working on each plant.”
Patience recalls that when he worked for the big wholesale nurseries, he often found the quality of plugs and cuttings wasn’t all that great. “We first had to nurture and trim them before we could grow them on. When I started my own business my aim was to supply growers with a perfect plug that was ready to go immediately. We are so focused on quality that all our plants are visually inspected and handled by our growers. The fact that our plants are trimmed by hand, fed by hand and watered by hand sets us apart from other bigger plug producers in Australia. Plants are not just a number, they are very personal.”
Constant improvement
Actually JD Propagation has very little automation, currently just a New Zealand designed climate control system called Autogrow, which is distributed by horticultural technology and innovation company, PowerPlants Australia. It has a touch screen design panel and can be logged into it from anywhere in the world. “We have also ordered an Ellepot machine for the production of paper pots for cuttings so we’ll be installing that later this year.
“We used to make up our own potting mixtures, by sourcing our own peat and blending it with perlite to get it right. Three years ago we ran some trials with Pindstrup substrates as I had used these at a big nursery in the past. The results were so good we switched to using entirely their products and now we import three to four containers per year. We use four mixes: small cell; two general ones; and a mother stock recipe. The mixes are always the same, the quality is excellent and the cutting are really vigorous so it makes life really easy.”
The nursery also recently introduced a new form of bench heating. “Originally we used heated mats on the benches but because the pots were sitting on the mats sanitation was a problem. It was difficult to disinfect properly because of the many pockets in the matting that harbored debris. “The top of the bench is now made from plastic mesh with PVC heating pipes running directly underneath. Water can drain away and we can sanitize really easily. Also, each greenhouse has a concrete floor so it is super clean.”
Hardened off in customer climate
Patience’s main aim is to produce a quality plug that is hardened off and finished properly. Each growing compartment is 512 m2, which consists of two houses of 256 m2; once the cuttings are struck they move through each compartment. Finally they are hardened off in the exact environment as that of the customer. “If they grow outdoors we finish our plants outdoors, if they produce under cold plastic, we finish the plants under cold plastic. By the time the cutting reaches the customer it will have spent 25% of its life matching the customer’s environment so the plants don’t experience any shock when they arrive.” On average the crops are 6-8 weeks old when sold.
Light recipes
The nursery is also using several LED lamp recipes. Traditionally it used HID lighting for crops that were running behind or if plants were needed very fast. Now the interruption of day/night is done with LEDs.
“We use a few spectrums of red, a few spectrums of blue, white light, a little far red and some infrared all of which we blend together. We can produce plants very fast with the lights on at night and the heater running to produce CO2.
“By using the correct spectrum we can achieve the results we want with low energy input. Energy costs are rising so anything we can do to save on these costs is important. If we can keep our energy costs down and speed up our cropping time we can achieve more plants per square meter.”
Experimental
The company ships across Australia to around 80 customers. Having grown nearly 30% every year for several years it is now in a consolidation phase. “We have grown so fast we don’t want to outstrip the skills of our staff and we need to ensure that we keep on top of our quality. We are now focusing on growing skills and making sure everyone really understands what they are doing before we expand any further,” he says. The company employs 25 people including five experienced growers.
Nevertheless, Patience is further experimenting with plug grown camellias and producing them in 24 cc volume plugs. “This is not traditional but because of our liquid feeding regime we can get them to the grower with a lot of vigor. When the grower pots them on they have a better growth rate than those produced in a larger pot or tube. “We work hard on getting the protocols in place and mastering any new cultivation that a customer requests. We enjoy a challenge”
Summary
Australian company, JD Propagation, checks every plug tray and plant by hand to ensure quality is maximised. The cultivation strategy, including attention to substrate, hygiene and LED light recipes, helps create optimum growing conditions for the production of vigorous plants. Each crop is hardened off in the same conditions it will experience at the grower.
Text: Helen Armstrong. Photos: JD Propagation
Russian greenhouse project Agro-Invest captured on video
Agro-Invest is a turn-key greenhouse project in the Kaluga region, a special economic zone located 300 km from Moscow. The first 20 hectare of the in total 100 hectare greenhouse complex has been in practice for 18 months. Partners Dalsem and Hoogendoorn have captured this inspiring project on video.
The Agro-Invest project is a state of the art greenhouse with high-tech systems of Dutch origin. Among its features are a 40 MWe power plant for generation of heat, power and CO2, high light levels and intermediate plant lighting, irrigation water re-use, integrated propagation area with own seeding and germination facilities and a grading system suitable for all type of cucumbers and tomatoes.
Self-sufficient
The greenhouse comprises 10 ha for the production of tomatoes (four varieties: one beef tomato variety, one vine tomato variety and two varieties of cherry tomatoes), 8 hectares of cucumbers and a 2-hectare propagation area for young plants and seedlings, plus a packing area/irrigation room and an energy building. This greenhouse complex will make a tangible contribution to the region’s goal of becoming self-sufficient in the production of vegetables in the longer term. This is the first stage of a project that will ultimately comprise a total of 100 hectares of greenhouse on 238 hectares of land.
Source: Hoogendoorn Growth Management/Dalsem.
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‘Algae are the vegetables for the future.’
Although they only started growing fresh algae commercially less than a year ago, Hendrik Staarink and his partner Stefano Canziani are fully confident about the future of their business, which they called Algreen. ‘Algae are the vegetables for the future.’
Starink started his studies in Agricultural Water Management at Wageningen University in 2008 and conducted the research for his final project near the Oosterschelde tidal basin in the province of Zeeland. A few visits to crustacean and seaweed farms further kindled his enthusiasm about algae. After reading several books on the cultivation of algae that summer the ball started rolling rapidly.
"We saw some excellent commercial opportunities, taking into account the high prices paid these days for Spirulina algae."
While he was at university he met Stefano, who was studying biotechnology and shared his fascination for algae. ‘We visited algae farms in France together. These are commercial farms, but they were very open about what they were doing. We studied their cultivation system, which they call raceway ponds. Almost all commercial algae are grown in raceways these days. We saw some excellent commercial opportunities, taking into account the high prices paid these days for Spirulina algae. So, we decided to try our hand at this, too!’
Superfood
‘We first grew Spirulina on an experimental scale in 2014, which marked our first step out of the lab. A great deal of research has been done on the cultivation of Spirulina and we worked with tested techniques and a type of algae that was adapted to the climate in the Netherlands. As a result, we started production on a bigger scale in 2015. We now have an office in Wageningen and grow our algae on a nearby cultivation site.’
"We are directing our sales primarily at the market for healthy juices and good restaurants."
Spirulina is primarily eaten on account of its relatively high protein content. ‘I would like to call it a superfood, but that applies to other vegetables as well. To me, it’s a very special vegetable.’ Spirulina is also chock-full of easily absorbed protein, is an important source of vitamins (e.b. potassium), minerals (particularly iron) and antioxidants (phycocyanine). As a result, it can easily be included in a healthy diet.
Who will be buying your fresh algae?
‘One of our first steps was to conduct market research. We discovered that the market is growing, and that our product is healthy, not too expensive and has numerous uses. You can put it in virtually everything. Many people eat it as a dietary supplement. We are directing our sales primarily at the market for healthy juices and good restaurants. We are a supplier to various small-scale juice bars and shops in Amsterdam. Businesses like that often use powdered Spirulina, and are now replacing this with our product. They tell me that it tastes much better.’
Why do you consider algae to be the vegetable of the future?
‘Because it’s such an easy crop to grow! Harvesting is simple: there’s nothing that needs to be picked or cut. Also, the cultivation of algae can easily be automated and up or downscaled. You don’t need a lot of energy; just a little sunlight. We produce our algae in an unheated greenhouse. Also, we don’t use any crop protection agents. Algae have few requirements with regard to the quality of water (salt content) and don’t emit any greenhouse gases. It’s a very sustainable crop.’
"We distinguish ourselves from the competition by offering a product that is not only fresh, but also sustainably grown."
‘In a conventional greenhouse you need ventilation, which we have no need for. We already apply the principles of Next Generation Cultivation. You see a lot of technology applied to algae that look very interesting on paper, but that are simply not feasible from a commercial perspective. We keep it as simple as possible and make it as complex as necessary. We distinguish ourselves from the competition by offering a product that is not only fresh, but also sustainably grown.’ By offering the algae while they are fresh they not only taste better, but also retain more of their nutrient content, adds Starink. ‘Plus, it cuts costs, because drying the algae requires extra energy.’
Will every grower with access to a tank of salt water be able to grow algae in the future?
‘It’s not quite that simple. Growing algae requires a certain degree of craftsmanship. There’s actually a lot you need to know about: cultivation, certification, biological testing, microscopic testing, harvesting, processing, and so on. We studied the entire process in minute detail. In addition to that, we optimised the cultivation conditions for our algae. We prepare our own nutrient mix. Still, what we do can easily be compared to what other commercial growers of vegetables do.’
"If you operate on a large enough scale you should be able to produce algae profitably in the Netherlands with the variety we developed."
When asked what his production yield is, Starink keeps silent. ‘Even in a cold greenhouse we can earn a little. However, cultivation at this scale takes a lot of labour, relatively speaking. If you operate on a large enough scale you should be able to produce algae profitably in the Netherlands with the variety we developed. We grow an adapted Spirulina variety obtained through selection.’
What will your next step be?
‘Our next challenge is to start operating on a larger scale, cultivation-wise. We would like a bigger greenhouse, preferably with residual heat, to eliminate our winter dip in production. Our most serious competitors are producers of dried algae. We can say that our product is better, but if our fresh algae will become much more expensive, we will be fighting a tough battle,’ explains Starink.
"There is a lot left to discover in the underwater cultivation of vegetables."
‘We are also engaged in expanding our product range. There is a lot left to discover in the underwater cultivation of vegetables. Additionally, our customers keep asking for more varieties of healthy and tasty algae. We are currently busy developing an exceptionally tasty variety of seaweed (a type of macro-algae) and keep our knowledge and expertise about micro-algae up to date through projects like the ‘Luteine 2.0’ project, which won us a prize from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). We are currently speaking to investors to enable the business to continue growing and so that more people will be able to enjoy locally grown, super-fresh algae produced by Algreen in the future.’
For more information, have a look at this video about fresh Spirulina (English subtitles) or visit the Algreen website (Dutch only).
Van Uffelen Flowers shows new high-tech chrysanthemum nursery
Van Uffelen Flowers held an open-doors day to show off its newly delivered four-hectare chrysanthemum greenhouse at Herenwerf in Maasland on Saturday 16 April, together with its builders and installers.
The newly designed Greenhouse was built by Technokas. The greenhouse cover was executed in diffuse glass, with a haze factor of 70. Another interesting detail is the double screening system by Svensson (Harmony 2515) and Bonar (energy-saving blackout cloth), executed by Huisman Scherming. The lighting system was provided by Hortilux Schréder (1,000 Watt SON-T narrow-angle lighting fixtures, 10,000 lux), and the other water and electrical systems were by Stolze.
Next Generation Cultivation
The greenhouse is prepared for the installation of air handling units for mixing the air in the greenhouse with air blown in from outside, in accordance with the basic principles of Next Generation Cultivation. ‘This system allows the entire air content of a greenhouse to be complete renewed approximately once every hour,’ explains Hans van Tilborgh of Technokas. ‘It will not be replacing the air vents, but will comprise a useful addition to them.’ Before the outside air is blown into the greenhouse through a large hose, it is heated to the greenhouse temperature. This is to prevent climate differences in the greenhouse.
However, the system does not provide in heat recovery, like tomato grower Ted Duijvesteijn’s ID Greenhouse. ‘That would mean installing a much more complex system. It also saves energy. In combination with a double screen this greenhouse will allow us to save 30 to 40 per cent more energy than in a conventional chrysanthemum greenhouse,’ continues Van Tilborgh.
Production halls
In addition to the greenhouse, Technokas also supplied Van Uffelen Flowers with hoistable heating frames and production halls, designed by the Poortinga & Zwinkels architecture firm. According to architect Hester Poortinga, Van Uffelen aims to have its new building reflect the brand identity and values of Zentoo: transparent, unifying and innovative. Zentoo is the trademark under which Van Uffelen chrysanthemums are marketed. The chrysanthemum varieties are supplied by Fides and Deliflor.
Other technical tours de force at Van Uffelen Flowers are the Robur fully automated spray boom, the ISO Group peat block planting machine and the Bercomex harvester. Once harvested, the flowers are transported to the shed on underground conveyor belts. The cooling facilities with pre-cooling units were supplied by Hamelink Koeling BV.
Text/photos: Mario Bentvelsen.
BOM Group is building 18 hectares of greenhouses for 4Evergreen
Dutch bell pepper producer 4Evergreen is considerably expanding its acreage in the Zeeland Smidsschorrepolder. The company of the brothers Grootscholte has asked the BOM Group to add 18 hectares of greenhouses to the existing 10 hectares of 4Evergreen in the same polder.
BOM Group is responsible for building the greenhouses and provides them with the newest technologies. One of these technologies is the double screen installation with the slip-in system from Peter Dekker Installaties. The expansion in the Zeeland-Flemish polder brings the total acreage of greenhouses of this pepper grower to 80 hectares. This makes 4Evergreen one of the largest producers of bell peppers in Europe. In addition, the company owns another several dozens of hectares in the Smisschorrepolder that can be built on in the future.
Residual heat and CO2
The reason that 4Evergreen has chosen to expand in the Smidsschorrepolder, near Westdorpe, is mainly because of the availability of residual heat and CO2, which is generated by the fertiliser plant Yara. The supply of these energy flows initially gave the horticultural area an energetic start. However, these developments were interrupted by the crisis, until the area started to revive again a couple of years ago.
Tomato grower Van Adrichem Nurseries established itself in the polder with 9 hectares of greenhouses, and the possibility to expand another 20 hectares. The Belgian United Vegetable Growers (VGT) is also building a company in the Autrichepolder with a total acreage of 30 hectares, which means that the polders in and around Westdorpe, except for some parcels, are nearly sold out.
Source/photo: BOM Group.
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Kubo to supply turnkey Ultra Clima greenhouse in China
Fruit juice producer Haisheng, a Chinese company with more than 2,000 employees, recently ordered an Ultra Clima greenhouse from Kubo. This fully closed 12-hectare greenhouse represents a value of approximately 14 million euros for Kubo.
This is Kubo’s first large-scale project in China. The greenhouse builder was awarded the order by participating in a public tendering procedure. The Westland-based company will deliver part of the greenhouse complex this year. The client, Haisheng, exports approximately 176 million euro in juice on an annual basis.
A breakthrough
Kubo’s CEO and owner Wouter Kuiper (41) called the order for the tomato greenhouse a breakthrough in het Financieele Dagblad (the Dutch Financial Times), because this is the first time that Kubo’s efforts to be granted an order in China paid off. Haisheng ordered an ‘Ultra-Clima’ greenhouse; a special type of greenhouse developed by Kubo only a few years ago. This fully closed greenhouse uses little energy and requires fewer crop protection agents due to the fact that plants grown in a closed environment are less susceptible to disease.
Turnkey project
Kubo will be delivering the greenhouse in China as a turnkey project. The company will be producing as many components as possible in advance in the Netherlands and subsequently ship all the material to China. Local construction workers in China will be preparing the ground and installing the greenhouse under supervision of a Dutch contractor. Kubo was in the news last month as well, when the company was engaged to realise a prestigious project by an oil company in Oman. The company will be building a solar greenhouse complex in the gulf state that generates steam from solar energy. The greenhouse complex will cover 190 hectares and be delivered in 2018.
Source: Financieele Dagblad. Photo: Kubo.