Design of a modular facility for sustainable indoor farming in Greenland

• Main Author: Martí Torra, Jan
• Other Authors: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria de Projectes i de la Construcció, García-Almiñana, Daniel
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya 2023
• Subjects: Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria agroalimentària::Agricultura::Agricultura sostenible; Sustainable agriculture; Modular construction; Hydroponics; Arctic regions; Greenland; Sostenibilitat; Àrtic; Pobresa alimentària; Disseny modular; Groenlàndia; Hidropònia; MCDA; Agricultura sostenible; Construcció modular; Hidroponia; Tècniques agrícoles; Àrtida; Grenlàndia; Arctic; Arctic Island; Sisimiut
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2117/398211

This thesis explores the design of a modular facility for sustainable indoor farming in Greenland, to address the challenge of food insecurity due to the harsh climate conditions in this Arctic Island. The proposed facility is designed for lettuce and is intended to be located in Sisimiut. The design of the facility is based on a comprehensive literature review of technologies, best practices, and existing facilities. Several locations within Sisimiut were assessed with a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis technique, considering integrated utilities as one of the main criteria. The facility is designed as a modular set-up using five shipping containers that can be handled by a single person, with a potential yearly output of lettuce of 832 kg. The thesis presents the layout of the facility and its flows. The carbon footprint of the produced lettuce in the facility is calculated and compared to lettuce imported by sea-freight and air cargo. The locally produced lettuce has a higher carbon footprint than the lettuce imported by sea-freight but a lower footprint than those imported by air cargo. Future studies could focus on the technical set-up that the facility requires. This study provides insights into the potential of sustainable indoor farming in Greenland and can inform future efforts to address food insecurity in the region