Södra is investing SEK 6 million ($642,233) in its Falkenberg nursery in Sweden. The investment will result in a new greenhouse and means the facility will take another step towards fossil-fuel independence, as the company says in the press release received by Lesprom Network.
The investment is in line with the sustainability targets set by Södra earlier in the autumn, one of which was that Södra’s production is to be fossil-free by 2020 and transport activities are to be fossil-free by 2030. The new greenhouse in Falkenberg is one step on this path.
The new fossil-free greenhouse will replace two old, end-of-life greenhouses, and is more energy efficient, reducing energy consumption by about 25%. Parts of operations in Falkenberg have already transferred to fossil-free operation, such as the production of PluggPlusEtt seedlings. During the autumn, two gas boilers have also been replaced with a larger pellets boiler for heating staff facilities and a production hall.
Work on the new greenhouse will begin during the winter months, and it is expected to be operating next summer. When next year’s investments are complete, then 95% of operations will be fossil-free. The final stage is another greenhouse in Falkenberg to replace the old greenhouses that still use gas heating. This is scheduled for 2018-19.
