Plant Factory

20804  Do Han Kim

  "Plant Factory" is a factory that grows vegetables or gains on a large scale like making products in a factory. A professor of Columbia University, USA said, "30- story building can feed 50 thousands of people." At that time, it was considered as a cock and bull story or far future story. But now it becomes realization.

  Japan has 50 plant factories and is going to build another 100 factories until 2012. Europe also has such factories. For example, Holland, a agricultural developed country, runs lots of rural plant factories using glass greenhouse and solar energy.

  Plant factory is a developed form of original vinyl greenhouse, which provides only a blocked circumstance. The Plant factory injects carbon dioxide, controls temperature with an air conditioning system and supplies nutrient solution and LED light instead of soil and sun light. Additionally, it uses robot automation technologies and unmanned production systems.

  This factory does not need large land and water, which is the best advantage of this plant factory. It does not care of bad weather such as typhoon or abnormal climate in production. Also, it can generate fresh, organic products on the time you want.
  In spite of these advantages, the reason why this "Plant Factory" spread is limited is because of costs. It's facility costs about 17 times of that of vinyl greenhouse. And because it uses artificial light, it need huge amount of electricity.

  However, the spread limit will change soon. As cities develops, vegetable supply increase and the transportation costs very much. And LED is effective material for plant factory, therefore plant factory will used all over the world soon.