A joint venture between GrowGroup IFS and RainMakers Capital Investment LLC will build the largest indoor farm in the world in Abu Dhabi. The GreenFactory Emirates will produce 10,000 tonnes of fresh produce per year on a plot of 17.5 hectares and a cultivation area of 160,000 square metres.
The GreenFactory Emirates will develop innovative indoor farming with the world’s most advanced indoor growing system from The Netherlands.
It will be a combination of vertical and flat farming which solves the normal cultivation restrictions due to extreme climates in regions like the UAE, according to a joint press statement issued by the two companies.
The facility will involve numerous leading agro-technological companies in its construction as best of breed for each component will be sourced through top-tier Dutch companies.
Water, Co2, and waste The GreenFactory will be saving 95 percent of water consumption instead of standard methods of cultivation and reducing its Co2 footprint up to 40 percent. By growing fresh produce locally, GreenFactory Emirates will also contribute to reducing waste in various other areas. Its contribution to slowly reducing reliance on fresh foods imports will reduce waste of produce during the transport process while reducing logistical traffic.
Research and development GreenFactory Emirates will include a built-in research and development component that will ramp up the production beyond the 56 current varieties of lettuces, leafy greens, herbs, and kale. It will also optimize its production by collecting real-time data to inform future global expansion of indoor farming. With confirmed partnerships with GAAS Wageningen and Delphy in The Netherlands, GreenFactory will benefit from some of the best students and Academia’s live feedback in the field.
