A tomato greenhouse in an area of 9.1 hectares has been established in 2014 1000 meters above sea level in the Banaz district of Usak, Turkey. The greenhouse, which was completed in 2016 with an investment of approximately 13 million USD, started production afterward.
Established in a region where the air temperature drops to minus 15 degrees during the winter months, the greenhouse is heated by geothermal sources. In the 7 hectare section of the greenhouse, 3,200 tons of tomatoes are produced annually. Since 2016, the tomatoes are grown in a hydroponic system. Next, the 1000 tons of tomatoes collected by women workers and sorted by size are sent directly to the UK, Russia, and Germany, and through merchants to Ukraine, Romania, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria. 2,200 tons are offered for sale in the domestic market.
Operations Manager Sinasi Oncu notes that the entire greenhouse is geothermally planned. Emphasizing that geothermal resources are important for greenhouse cultivation, Oncu explains that heat and energy are the two biggest expenses of the company.
"In addition to labor and other processes, energy comes first. A geothermal resource provides a great advantage as it becomes a great competitive power. This region is at an altitude of 1000 meters so in winter, the temperature drops to 15 degrees below zero. You can tolerate this with geothermal resources. You can plan your heating according to the heat you get from geothermal and continue your production comfortably. "
Source: AA