The world's first fully automatic underground plant factories in Japan

using artificial light and nutrient solution of leafy vegetables cultivated plants are not new, many Japanese companies will use old factory 'vegetables'. A plant factory is located in chiba prefecture near Tokyo differs, from cultivating plants box is the conveyor belt to the factory set up in an underground space plants, to the final long good vegetables by the conveyor belt to the ground, has realized the full automation 'vegetables'.

this is the world's first fully automatic underground plant, factory set up in an idle municipal comprehensive underground pipeline. About 3. 1 km of underground tunnel roof about 5 meters away from the ground, within six to eight metres wide, about 4 meters high, built as early as 1995, was originally designed to local municipal comprehensive network, after being idle. Electrical automation equipment of company and chiba prefecture of land management cooperation, the idle, making use of underground tunnel in December 2017, built the unique plant factory.

according to Mr ITO motor plant factory development company headquarters director Mr Okada show bright, since December 2017 began experimenting with cultivation, plant factory can produce 200 strains of vegetables every day, including the leafy vegetables such as lettuce and edible flowers. According to plan, to 2020 factory can enter the amount of maternity leave, daily output of 2500, to 2022 annual output will be further expanded to 5000 strains. At that time, the underground plant will reach about 3200 square meters factory area, the ground section area will reach 600 square meters.

it is understood that the tunnel section area was set up for the closed plant area, covers an area of about 120 square meters, the screen can be seen through the plastic wall layered planting some vegetables such as lettuce.

according to Mr Okada exhibition Ming, the plant factory is fully automated, cultivating good plants on the ground, the modular plants box through a conveyor belt into underground, underground plant factory of LED light and nutrient solution can be done automatically, plants in underground plant factory after 24 days cultivation can be on the conveyor belt to the ground for sale.

staff also served fresh harvest lettuce for reporters at the scene. Due to the fully grown in a pollution-free environment, without cleaning the lettuce can be eaten, taste taste is also very good.

Mr Okada exhibition Ming said, now the sales prices of vegetables in the plant factory output and lettuce, and further reduce the cost of the space in the future. Daily output reaches 5000 strains, the ground require about 10 staff for seedling, harvest and equipment maintenance, etc. They also plan to develop in the future more automation equipment, the goal is to reduce the cost of thirty percent.

according to chiba prefecture enterprises soil toki jian wen, deputy director of bureau of land management, plant factories usually need to consume large amounts of power to control moderate light, but the plant factory set up in the underground tunnel, the years of constant temperature and humidity, can save a lot of air conditioning electricity bills. In addition due to close to the consumer market, output without the long-distance transportation of vegetables, save a lot of logistics costs.