Disruptive vertical farming system of horticultural crops inside a dismountable tank under 100% controlled conditions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The world’s population is forecast to increase by 2 billion by 2050, with food supply increasing by 70%. However, there is not enough space available, as about 80% of the Earth’s surface is already in use. Moreover, the need for freshwater will increase proportionally. As 36% of freshwater use is deployed for horticulture, it is vital to find ways to reduce this incidence. Increased food production has additional environmental impacts, such as a more intensive use of pesticide and herbicides and increased GHG emissions associated with transport. The development of solutions enhancing resource efficiency within the food value chain is therefore crucial.

 

Vertical farming has emerged as an alternative horticultural system, which reduces land surface use by 200%, increases crop yields and reduces resource use in comparison to standard systems (e.g., open fields and greenhouses). However, current vertical farming systems have encountered key entry barriers (e.g., location, costs and logistics), which have prevented the practice from penetrating the EU horticultural market.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of LIFE FARMITANK project was to implement a disruptive vertical farming business model and to demonstrate its environmental and socioeconomic benefits.

 

Specifically, the project aimed to:

• increase crop yields by 26% through the implementation of a double transplant system;
• reduce energy consumption by 17%, mainly thanks to deployment of sustainable technology and the use of LED light reflectors;
• increase efficiency of land use by 160%;
• lower investment costs by 11% and corresponding risks – e.g., using a dismountable tank accelerates the process of setting up a horticultural system as it avoids the need for construction permits and makes its location and decommissioning much more flexible;
• reduce labour costs by 6% through the implementation of more ergonomic and automated processes and technology (e.g., automatic cultivation system);
• allow vertical farming systems to be operated by vulnerable social groups, thanks to the use of more ergonomic and automated processes and technology.
  

The project was in line with the Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe since it implemented a new innovative vertical farming model that reduced the use of resources.

RESULTS

The project has achieved the implementation of a disruptive vertical farming system of horticultural crops inside a dismountable tank under 100% controlled conditions and demonstrated its environmental and socioeconomic benefits. The FARMITANK system offers several competitive advantages that make it different from systems developed by competitors. FARMITANK, among other features, has a modular, scalable, and detachable design. The design allows it to occupy a minimum footprint of just 50 m2, while still being able to extend up to 18 m in height, hosting up to 400 m2 of arable area.

 

The project prototype is full-scale (6m wide and 16m high), containing all the necessary technologies to grow horticultural crops inside a tank. The prototype contains 24 cultivation levels (312 m2 arable surface), whilst occupying only 50 m2 of land. At each level, the lighting, climate and irrigation conditions are controlled. The tank was constructed by PARCITANK and installed in FLORETTE facilities located in Milagro (Navarra, Spain). Over the course of a year, the prototype was run in a controlled environment, cultivating a variety of crops including microgreens, lettuce, coriander, basil, and chives. To compare FARMITANK with standard agricultural practices, the same crops were grown in greenhouse following conventional agriculture practices. Samples from the crops were taken and analysed by CNTA to compare both cultivation methods and ensure food quality and safety.

 

The main environmental and socioeconomic benefits achieved by the project are the following:

• Crop yield enhancement:
  • 1 additional ton produced in comparison with standard vertical farms (+10% yield);
  • Increase of yield by 99% for lettuce thanks to double transplant;
  • 11,3 tons of crop produced using 312 m₂ of growing area for 1 year.  
• Mitigation of energy consumption and lowering the carbon footprint:
  • 16,9% energy consumption savings due to the use of light reflectors and the enhancement of productivity;
  • 49 224 kWh saved during the prototype execution, resulting in savings of 3 677,08 € in energy costs;
  • 13,4 tons of CO₂ eq saved thanks to the improvement of the energy consumption efficiency.
• Increase land use efficiency:
  • The structure proves 170% more efficient in terms of land use efficiency than other vertical farms;
  • Using only 50m₂ of land area, this solution spans for 312 m₂ of growing area.
• Optimisation of investment costs and corresponding risks:
  • The investment costs are 6.66% lower than other solutions. FARMITANK’s investment costs are EUR 2 250/m₂ while the average costs of other vertical farms are EUR 2 400/m₂. A total of EUR 48,000 has been saved for this 312m₂ facility;
  • Modularity and scalability allow potential clients to invest in a small scale facility to make their own business plan and validate the technology before scaling up to a bigger facility.
• Labor costs reduction:
  • 6% savings in labour costs, mainly due to the integration of the central elevator platform;
  • EUR 2 640 saved in labour during the prototype operation considering a value of EUR 12/hr in Spain.
• Integration of vulnerable social groups individuals:
  • A full-time job position was created for a disabled person during the running of the prototype.