Porta Nova is one of the largest growers of Red Naomi roses worldwide. In collaboration with greenhouse builder Havecon, Lek / Habo and Verhoeven-Drunen, Patron Agri Systems realized the electrical, irrigation and automation systems for a 9.8 ha rose nursery on a new location in Waddinxveen. The project is characterized by a high-profile seasonal thermal storage. Porta Nova is one of the first greenhouse horticultural companies in the Netherlands to grow roses without using natural gas.

Just like the other rose nurseries from Porta Nova, the greenhouse is equipped with several heat pumps running on green electricity and underground seasonal thermal storage. This soil energy system called “the Climator” consists of a total of 10 sources of 100 m³ / hour. In addition, the lighting for the dispatch area, sorting hall and cold stores are provided in energy-efficient LED lighting. Through the OCAP connection, pure CO2 is supplied from Rotterdam Port, which is necessary for growing roses.

Spring water from two underwater sources is pumped up and treated with the Horti Pure Osmosis system in order to significantly reduce Sodium and Boron concentrations. Quite unique is the Aquamix SP liquid fertilizer installation that makes it possible to control 12 dosing channels and thus be able to switch between different recipes and water qualities. By using an inline Apollo Low-pressure UV installation, a clean water silo can be saved and the irrigation water is actually clean as there is no question of a residence time in a clean water silo.

The Kameleon-High drip system also ensures a high uniformity in combination with the possibility to flush the driplines under low working pressure and thereby maintaining the quality of the irrigation water. Furthermore, the outer and inner growing rows are irrigated separately. The glass cover of the rose nursery is expected to collect 87 million liters of water annually. This water is stored in water basins and is a fully circular system. With the realization of these sustainable aspects, Porta Nova is facing a bright, sustainable future that will enable it to achieve the lowest possible ecological footprint per rose.