ReFarm today announced that it has signed an agreement with Food Tech Valley at COP28 to start construction on a 900,000 sq. ft. game-changing “GigaFarm”. The innovative waste-to-value farm will be capable of recycling more than 50,000 tonnes of food waste and growing two billion plants yearly.
ReFarm was established in the UAE by SSK Enterprise and Christof Global Impact (CGI) as a group of companies focusing on projects with circularity and clean technologies. The brand chose vertical farming technology developed by infrastructure supplier Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) and is set to start construction in mid-2024 at Dubai’s Food Tech Valley, a master development launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and being led by major Dubai property developer, Wasl. ReFarm has engaged its lead bank to arrange support from UK Export Finance within the UK Government’s Department for Business & Trade.
Oliver Christof, CEO at Christof Global Impact (CGI), commented: “What has been achieved over the past 36 months on the ground in the UAE is a gamechanger for the sustainable food industry. A key factor for success has been the open mindset by the UAE leadership in relation to future technologies and a strong focus on circularity, which allowed us to bring together various groups, including local stakeholders, alongside our technologies, making the project appealing to local as well as institutional investors while saving massive amounts of CO2.”
In a global first, six complementary technologies will be collocated on the Dubai Food Tech Valley site as part of a closed-loop circular waste-to-value system, establishing a self-contained ecosystem designed to maximise resource efficiency and prevent any waste going to landfill.
Capable of growing more than 3 million kilos of produce annually, the site will support the UAE’s move towards decarbonising food production, replacing 1% of the country’s fresh produce imports. Construction will begin in mid-2024, with the site expected to be fully operational by 2026.
Food waste will be recycled on-site by black soldier fly larvae, with by-products including organic compost used in traditional agricultural practices, animal feed to replace unsustainable fish meal and soy oil, and water for use in the vertical farming towers. The technologies on site will also recover up to 90% of ammonia sulphate from wastewater for use in plant fertilisers and gradually produce organic biodegradable polymers designed to release water and nutrients to crops in arid regions.
Saeed Al Marri, Chairman at SSK Enterprises, commented: “Our circular approach contributes to wider ambitions of food security and landscape regeneration, with the vertical farming towers capable of growing more than 250 varieties of plants, seedlings and saplings, from salads, herbs and leafy greens, through to fruiting crops and tree seedlings including native species such as Ghaf, Moringa and even Mangroves. Additionally, no mains or groundwater connection will be required to grow fresh produce since water will be recovered as a by-product from the organic-waste-to-value technology and fed into the vertical farm which is up to 98% more water efficient than growing in a field.”
