Having decided to invest 300 million dollars in the land that has been a marsh for many years and causing environmental problems, MB Holding subsidiary Sultan Sera rolled up its sleeves for the greenhouse together with the Dutch company Dalsem.
The first high-tech greenhouse in Turkey is being built in Yavuzköy town of Köşk district of Aydın. The greenhouse, which will start tomato production for export at the end of September, will reach an area of 160 thousand square meters when completed. Sultan Geothermal Source Technological Sera Tarım Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., a company within MB Holding, which opened the land that has been a marsh for many years to employment and geothermal greenhouse farming with an investment of 300 million dollars, has achieved a miracle. The company rolled up its sleeves for the first greenhouse investment of 41 thousand 400 square meters together with the Dutch company Dalsem. The countdown has begun for the first geothermal greenhouse of the region with the signed protocol.
High Quality Production at Maximum Capacity
Sultan Jeotermal Kaynaklı Teknolojik Sera Tarım Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. General Manager Sinan Akbay gave information to AK Parti Aydın Deputy Ali Gültekin Kılıç, who was inspecting the greenhouse construction area. Akbay said, “We will produce high quality tomatoes for export at the highest capacity per acre in the greenhouse, which will be operational at the end of September.”
Akbay, who stated that they will make the first harvest at the end of September in the greenhouses that will be a first in Europe in terms of technical features, said; “MB Holding, which has signed many firsts in construction, textile, energy, ready-mixed concrete, perlite and greenhouse farming for over 40 years, completely targets the greenhouse investment abroad. The aim is to serve as a supplier to the developing EU market with an alternative product range such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. The most important advantage here is to benefit from the competitive advantage that will be created by reducing the heating cost, which can reach up to 45 percent in operating expenses, to 5 percent with the correct use of geothermal energy. In addition to the workforce used in the production phase, it is planned to create employment for approximately 300 people in the greenhouse area of 300 thousand square meters with technical staff such as engineers and consultants, laboratory technicians and social facilities to be established.”
Truss Tomatoes
Stating that MB Holding has broken new ground in many areas, Akbay stated that this greenhouse, which will be Turkey’s first facility fed by geothermal power plant wastewater, will also be one of the highest and most technological greenhouses in the country.
Akbay, who also provided technical information to MP Kılınç about the greenhouse to be built in a closed area of 41 thousand 400 square meters, said; “This greenhouse, which is the first stage investment of Sultan Sera, will be one of the most modern greenhouses in Turkey. We will produce Bandita type truss tomatoes in the greenhouse, which will be a full-tech product with 6 meters gutter height, automation systems, glass cover, reinjection water reuse technology, experimental production areas, high-pressure fogging system and geothermal heating system.”
Dutch Technology
Sultan Jeotermal Kaynaklı Teknolojik Sera Tarım Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. General Manager Sinan Akbay emphasized that one of the most important features of the project is the cooperation with the Dutch, who are world leaders in the greenhouse sector. He stated that thanks to the cooperation made within the scope of the Seraculture program, which is also supported by the Dutch government, the necessary technical and know-how support will be provided to Sultan Sera. Akbay, who also stated that within the scope of the same cooperation, Sultan Sera employees will be trained in the Netherlands and that technical support will be received from Wageningen University in the Netherlands for 2 years, said; “With this project, the aim is to present an exemplary project in using Turkey’s natural resources in the most effective way, to bring lands that are not suitable for agriculture into the economy with soilless agriculture, and to contribute to employment and the development of the greenhouse sector in Turkey.”
“Agricultural Industry Will Develop Rapidly”
AK Parti Aydın Deputy Ali Gültekin Kılınç stated that geothermal greenhouses will gain momentum with the investments initiated by MB Holding and said; “While our geothermal resources have been flowing into the B. Menderes River for years, eyes turned to Aydın with the 10 megawatt power plant established by MEGE in Salavatlı. New geothermal areas will emerge with the tender of different areas on September 17. We had a study for a 10 thousand decare greenhouse area in Aydın. With MB Holding’s investment, we will increase this figure to 160 decares in a 4-year period. We believe that organic and healthy nutrition will also be higher thanks to such greenhouses. It is very important for our province to create a market in this regard. I believe that the development of agricultural industry will accelerate with the increase in such greenhouses.”