Thanet Earth will begin construction on its fourth glasshouse this summer, three years after the first three greenhouses on the Kent site became operational.
The fourth glasshouse, of a planned total of seven, will be eight hectares in size, and will be owned and operated as a joint venture between Fresca Group and the three existing Thanet Earth growers. The collective funding for the greenhouse, its CHP infrastructure and its link to the site’s electrical sub-station, will be around £17 million.
Funding is coming directly from the grower partners, Fresca Group and new bank finance and will be vested in a new joint venture greenhouse-operating business.
The Thanet Earth partner businesses have submitted a planning application to construct a fourth greenhouse on Plot One of the site dedicated to tomato production. Planning permission already exists for a glasshouse on this plot but the company is seeking to vary the existing permission to include an increase in size.
The company hopes to begin construction this summer, with the first crop coming early in 2013. The new glasshouse will provide employment and seasonal work for some 100 extra people.
As with the existing greenhouses, the new facility will utilise rainwater capture and biological pest control. It will also increase the electricity-generating capacity of the site overall to 20MW from the 15MW it is able to generate today using its CHP technology.
Thanet Earth grows tomatoes, capsicum and cucumbers year round thanks to the original vision of Fresca Group, A&A, Kaaij UK and Rainbow, but it represents a huge financial commitment for all parties.
Chris Mack, executive chairman of project partner Fresca Group, said: “The plan for the site originally had the first three greenhouses constructed as Phase 1, with the remaining greenhouses following relatively quickly.
“We did, however, choose possibly the worst time to venture into this project. The financial climate has left funding scarce, cash reserves are guarded fiercely and plans have been slower to come to fruition. This has been a pressure on Thanet Earth overall, as the financial projections for the site relied on its scale of production for its profitability. To remain under 50 per cent constructed, yet to turn an operating profit in year three is testament to the hard work of everyone at the site.”
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