World’s largest indoor vertical farm coming to Melbourne
The world’s biggest indoor vertical farm is coming to Melbourne after a pre-commitment by Daniel Tzvetkoff’s Stacked Farm.
The 10,000 square metre climate-controlled facility (artist’s impression, top), the second in the world after the Gold Coast, is set to start construction at the Melbourne Airport Business Park – owned by Melbourne Airport Corporation – near Tullamarine.
Melbourne scooped Brisbane for the facility, which has been earmarked since a $56 million capital raising which garnered major support from US investment house, Magnetar Capital.
Following a sod turning event this month, Total Construction is expected to deliver the fully automated factory, carbon-neutral factory next year.
Fast growing
The Melbourne Stacked Farm complex will be the only indoor vertical farm in an airport precinct globally; the landlord puts the end value at c$150m.
About 3.4 million kilos of herbs and greens – basil, coriander, parsley and several lettuce type – are expected a year.
Expected to accommodate about 15 staff, amongst them, horticulturalists, and technical maintenance engineers, it will operate 365 days a year.
Crops should harvest between 16-31 days compared to 45-80 for traditional farming methods.
Set to be powered entirely by green energy it will also include a swag of high-tech features including unique lighting technology and a zero water waste system (story continues below).
Another MAC coup
Stacked Farm is the latest major business to commit to land around Melbourne Airport which has in recent years been making way for office/warehouses; most of the occupiers have been in the logistics space though other MAC assets are rented to CSL (a laboratory), the Essendon Football Club (a clubhouse and oval) and the operators of indoor surf park, UrbnSurf.
Mr Tzvetkoff, a former IT guru, established the business as a hydroponic experiment nine years ago.
Now with a facility with 20 levels for produce in Arundel, on the Gold Coast, where the executive lives, the business services many restaurants.
The two warehouses should output enough to put an end to supply chain disruptions and surging prices, he said.
CBRE’s Daniel Eramo was the agent.
Melbourne Airport is about 15 kilometres north west of Melbourne’s CBD.
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