Plantlab begins production of romaine lettuce and sturgeon at the Hillwood warehouse in Kutno

Plantlab Sp z o.o. has leased 2,702 sqm of space at the Hillwood Kutno logistics park. The most modern installation in Europe for the production of romaine lettuce and sturgeon will be built there – in a microclimate isolated from the environment and a closed-loop water system. 

The project is being implemented by Plantlab Sp. z o.o., in partnership with the Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice and the Department of Ichthyobiology and Fisheries of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gołysz. The aquaponics method used in it is based on growing plants in appropriate water nutrients, without the use of soil. Thanks to this, the installation can be adapted to any climatic, urban, and environmental conditions. Similar solutions are increasingly being used in the United States and Asia as a safer and more profitable alternative to food production in the traditional agricultural model.

"We are pleased that Plantlab chose our investment in Kutno for the construction of the installation. Seeing the huge potential of this project, we undertook its implementation with joy and great commitment. Using the knowledge and experience of the Hillwood team of experts, we helped Plantlab optimally utilize and adapt the warehouse space to the needs of such non-standard production" – says Jan Kaliński, Business Development Director at Hillwood Polska – "The project that we are implementing in Kutno together with Plantlab is the best proof that warehouse space can be successfully used in a very diverse way, not only for storage but also for such innovative production as the breeding of sturgeon and romaine lettuce. We are not afraid of challenges, and our company is always open to new technologies, non-standard projects, and business innovations"

The planned installation will occupy 4,656 sqm of cultivation area on 11 levels, and the expected monthly lettuce harvest will amount to over 545,000 units. In 900 cubic meters of pools, Plantlab will breed over 4,800 kg of sturgeon each month. 

"Our installation will be the first aquaponic system in Europe for mass-scale healthy food production. In our opinion, thanks to high efficiency and complete independence from external conditions, the project has a chance to start a new trend and become an answer to the challenges of modern agriculture related to soil erosion, increasing urbanized areas, and overpopulation. Thanks to the flexibility, openness, and pro-innovation attitude of Hillwood Polska representatives, we will be able to adapt our structure to the existing building and fully realize the project's assumptions. The great location of the space we leased is also significant – the location near the motorway and quick access from Warsaw is an undoubted advantage of the hall in Kutno for logistical and marketing reasons" – said Łukasz Maciak, CEO of Plantlab Sp. z o.o.

The Plantlab project received funding from the National Centre for Research and Development.

The Hillwood Kutno logistics park offers tenants a total of over 32,600 sqm of modern class A warehouse space. The investment is located in the immediate vicinity of the "Kutno" junction, by the A1 motorway, just a 10-minute drive from the intersection of the A1 and A2 motorways. In Central Poland, apart from Kutno, Hillwood has already built warehouses in Łódź and Stryków. We are planning further projects in Zgierz, Rawa Mazowiecka, and near Łowicz, among others.