News

New year-round strawberry production facility for Beeswax Dyson Farming

CambridgeHOK has been selected as the build partner for Beeswax Dyson Farming - Britain's biggest privately owned farming business - for a new multi-million pound state-of-the-art indoor strawberry production facility in Lincolnshire.

The new six hectare glasshouse, packaging and cold store facility in Carrington, near Boston, will be able to produce 750 tonnes of strawberries at any one time, providing 'the highest quality local strawberries all year round'.

The development will be a 'first of its kind for size, complexity, sophistication and green credentials' in the UK horticulture market.

It will see heat generated from the current onsite anaerobic digester biogas plant, where maize and rye silage is converted into energy, stored and used as and when required in glasshouse enabling major energy savings.

Biogas will also be extracted, cleaned and converted into C02, to be used to enhance the growing environment and improve crop yields inside the glasshouse.

Methane gas, which is already created by the anaerobic digestion process, will be used to create electricity to power the glasshouse - and power over 7,700 homes - through a specially built Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system.

The site will even be self-sufficient in terms of water usage, with the entire site harvesting rainfall to be reused in irrigation systems.

Multi-million pound project has been a year in planning and development

The project has been confirmed following a year of planning between Beeswax Dyson Farming, which is owned by one of Britain's most famous inventors, James Dyson, and CambridgeHOK.

Over that time our teams have advised on the concept and in developing the business case, looking at potential yield, values of yield and how quality control can be assured, assessing the overall market opportunity.

Now, with planning permission secured, work on site is now due to start with a target of production beginning early next year.

Ross Hibbs, commercial director at CambridgeHOK, said : "This is a huge development in the UK horticultural sector as it is the first of its kind in its sheer size, complexity, sophistication and green credentials.

"We are extremely proud to have worked alongside Beeswax Dyson Farming over the past 12 months to bring this project from initial concept to the stage where we will now embark on making it a reality.

"This project will use cutting-edge techniques and technology to produce the highest quality British grown strawberries all year round, something our leading brand supermarkets and local distributors are desperate to see, as are consumers.

"It will also be the most energy efficient and green development of its kind. We are all very excited at what is ahead over the coming nine months."

CambridgeHOK will oversee the design and onsite construction and development of the glasshouse, which has been manufactured by its long-term partner and world-beating Netherlands-based specialist, Havecon.

Combined with our specialist knowledge in automated climate control systems, irrigation and energy systems, it will ensure the very best operational performance.

The glasshouse will benefit from;

Energy-saving and light pollution screens to save heat for use at night and to provide shade in the day
Leading Signify LED lighting systems to aid winter production
Swinging hanging growing gutters to allow access for harvesting
Specialist Signify Flowering lamps to maximise flower growth and fruit
Self-sufficient water systems from rain-water harvesting across the site

The glasshouse project will include:

82,700 m2 of glass,
266 tons of steel and 140 tons of aluminium
1,800 galvanised steel posts
282,000 aluminium roof glazing bars,
3,247 ventilation windows
60,000 metres of dripper irrigation pipework
122,000 metres of heating pipework enough to reach from the site in Lincolnshire to Birminhan
1,500,000 litres of hot water within the heating system
6,800 Energy Saving LED 11 watts flowering lamps

Mr Hibbs says securing the huge project is a huge vote of confidence in CambridgeHOK and its industry-leading reputation.

"Beeswax Dyson Farming has a reputation for being a modern and hi-tech farming business which is committed to producing the best produce in the interests of the both customers, and the environment, for the long-term," he said.

"We are delighted that we were the chosen firm to deliver this vision for them and have led this project from concept, through planning and now into development."

As well as the glasshouse, CambridgeHOK will construct a 1,500sq metre packing and cold store facility, where strawberries will be housed and made ready for collection and delivery, as well as a portal frame building which will house office staff, kitchens, and restrooms.

It will also be responsible for the construction of access roads, car parking and lighting across the new site.