Dutch company EsBro behind 15 hectare greenhouse on Iceland

The greenhouse plans that are causing a stir in Iceland are the work of Dutch investment company Esbro. Their plans for the 15 hectare greenhouse, which will be is in the final stages. The 150,000-square-meter greenhouse for growing organic tomatoes for export on the outskirts of Grindavík in Southwest Iceland, will create 125 jobs.

“We are convinced that the greenhouse will happen,” Michael Veisser, the company’s representative, told visir.is. The project is estimated to cost ISK 5-6.5 billion (USD 42-54 million, EUR 31-40 million).

EsBro has already reached an agreement with suppliers in the U.K., who, among other vendors, provide the 6,300-store chain Tesco with products.

The company’s residents held a meeting with the inhabitants of Grindavík on Thursday. Locals are concerned about light pollution but Veisser said measures to counteract light pollution will be taken.

“We will try and cooperate with Grindavík inhabitants as much as we can—it’s for the interest of both parties,” he commented.

Others who have raised concern are Icelandic tomato farmers, who reason it will be tough to compete with EsBro on the local market in case export doesn’t work out.

Source: Icelandreview.com