What is the cost of vertical farming?

The Greenhouse Horticulture Business Unit of Wageningen University & Research and TU Delft are investigating the feasibility of vertical farming as a new production system.

Complex

So, how can vertical farming contribute to (inter)national food production? This question is more complex than it initially seems, according to Luuk Graamans. “The answer does not only depend on the production, but also on the costs for water, energy and CO₂‘”, he says.

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The combination of high-density crop production and a closed construction necessitates a different approach with respect to heat, cooling and dehumidification when it comes to vertical farming. – Photos: AFP

Greenhouse models

Graamans gives an example: “How much does it cost to produce one head of lettuce? The answer is fairly well known when it comes to cultivation in greenhouses in the Netherlands. Greenhouse models and growth models can be used to predict the production at a certain consumption of water, energy and CO₂.”

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However, according to the scientist, those models are not suitable cultivation in a vertical farm. “The combination of high-density crop production and a closed construction necessitates a different approach with respect to heat, cooling and dehumidification.”

Energy consumption of a vertical farm

Graamans says the key question when comparing both cultivation systems is: how much energy does a vertical farm need? “The required amount of water and CO₂ can be reduced compared to a ‘traditional’ greenhouse, but this is not the case for the cooling and dehumidification demand. The high internal heat load and the lack of natural ventilation ensure a high cooling demand, which consequently results in residual heat.”

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A worker checks on baby kale grown in vertical grow towers in Newark, New Jersey (United States). Residual energy coming from vertical farms could be exchanged energy with other users in cities.

Re-use residual heat

Graamans says the question is whether this residual heat could be used in the surrounding urban environment. “One of the key features of vertical farming is that it can take place in the city, which would allow it to exchange energy with other users. Those other users could become customers of the residual heat from the vertical farm.”

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