A Swedish social enterprise which promotes “urban agriculture” is to build a 54m high inner-city greenhouse that will double as a farm for growing vegetables as well as serve as a fully-functioning office block.
The planned £19m glass-fronted food factory is a prototype which the firm, Plantagon, believes can be applied in Third World and other emerging zones to produce large volumes of food in cities grown on eco-friendly principles. China has already expressed interest in the project, and Tongji University in Shanghai is working with Plantagon on how to integrate the prototype into local neighborhoods.
Plantagon’s first greenhouse will be in Linköping, about 200km southwest of Stockholm, with construction starting next year and occupation pencilled in for 2014. Most of the funding has come from Plantagon and its backer, the Onondaga Nation, which set up the company with ethical business guru Hans Hassle in 2008.
The building is located on the outskirts of the city near a power plant run by the energy company Takniska Verken, which is partnering Plantagon in the project.
Thre greenhouse concept has been 10 years in the planning
At the heart of the project is a helix-style rotating spiral in the centre of the building, down which crops descend over a period of months before being harvested at ground level. The rotation allows the crops to capture as much sunlight as possible, which multiplies the yields.
The greenhouse concept, which has been 10 years in the planning, involves capturing excess heat from local buildings, and translating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen for the crops. It may also purify water from the local sewage system. Because of the urban location, food can be distributed to customers easily and transport costs minimised.
Plantagon spokesperson Carin Balfe Arbman said: “This is a demonstration model to show potential clients all over the world what can be achieved. We believe it can produce food at a price that is competitive, while using synergies between modern technology and contemporary city life to overcome the problems faced by cities in developing countries.”
Urban Agriculture has become a fast growing field for Swedish cleantech companies and is now launched as a new offer to the cities of the world through SymbioCity – a network of Swedish companies and organisations, within sustainable urban development, founded by the Swedish government and Swedish industry.
Urban Agriculture includes technology to use city space for growing plants and vegetables in high buildings, so-called vertical farming. Plantagon develops a vertical greenhouse and is world leader in the rapidly growing field.
“It is extremely exciting to follow the rapid development of Urban Agriculture. The fact that a rapidly increasing number of people are moving into urban areas today puts enormous pressure on the cities. It has become necessary to develop smart and economic ways to produce food in a small area in the city,” said Gustav Gorecki, business development manager at Plantagon.
