GE provides LED lighting for Europe's largest indoor farm

A few days ago, Current and Jones Foods Co., Ltd. (JFC), a subsidiary of GE, are building one of the largest vertical indoor farms in the world. The plant nursery in North Lincolnshire, England, will be the largest indoor farm in Europe. On the 5120 square meters of cultivation area, up to 420 tons of green leafy vegetables will be produced per year. The planting areas are arranged in racks up to 11 meters high. To help vertical farms maximize yields, Current is installing new Arize* LED horticultural lighting solutions.

According to Current, the Arize LED horticultural lighting solution has a balanced spectrum that can stimulate the optimal growth of each plant, shorten the growth cycle and achieve intensive production.

James Lloyd-Jones, CEO of JFC, said, "We knew that lighting would be the lifeline that could bring efficient care-intensive food production to farms", "We needed a partner who could see the potential and develop it with us." The right lighting and spectrum to make our vision a reality."

JFC worked with the Current team to develop a custom version of the Arize grow light that emits a combination of red, blue and white wavelengths for flexible and efficient growth of large, balanced plants. The equipment is located in a smart cleanroom (or "high care") environment, which keeps the crop completely isolated from external contaminants. Each growing area has its own supply of water and nutrients.

In addition, the plant nursery will utilize GE's cloud data system to monitor the electricity usage of LEDs and HVAC systems. It is reported that the first crop production is expected to start this autumn.