Use of material as an enabler to one of the world’s largest VF?

Emirates Flight Catering, the inflight catering arm of UAE-based Emirates Airlines producing more than 55 million meals annually, recently opened the world’s largest vertical farm, Bustanica, located near Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The 330,000 sq ft indoor facility will produce more than one million kilograms of high-quality leafy greens including lettuces, arugula, mixed salad greens, and spinach annually, while reportedly requiring 95 percent less water than conventional agriculture.

Commenting on the opening, Martin Kruczinna, CEO of Pearl Polyurethane Systems, said: “We are thrilled to support this world-leading sustainable farming project by supplying our high-performance EcoPearl polyurethane material for the metal sandwich insulation panels installed on Bustanica together with our manufacturing partner, EIP. These panels comprise a rigid polyurethane foam core, laminated with metal sheets on either side and are typically used as wall and roof cladding, to keep heat out by minimising thermal energy transfer.

“Key considerations for the vertical farm operators, as with any other building owner, is how to regulate the indoor temperature to ensure optimal crop harvests in the extreme Middle Eastern climate without using expensive cooling systems – effective building insulation is therefore critical. With rising energy costs, better insulation means less energy consumption, leading the fight against global warming. Pearl-supplied rigid polyurethane foam used in this project is by far the most superior means of insulation on the market and we are proud our EcoPearl product is a key component of this cutting-edge sustainable farming project as it achieves this world-first and serves as a megatrend enabler promoting global food security,” added Kruczinna.

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Image provided by Bustanica, Dubai Vertical Farm

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