At the SAN Enertech Farm: Where Sustainability becomes Art
On 25th of April, board members of Clean Energy Business Council, attended a guided tour of the SAN Enertech Farm in Ras al Khaimah – “Enertech” is a merge of Energy and Technology. Alia Busamra, Chief Sustainability & Climate Change Officer from ENOC and Line Bitar, Executive Manager Acwa Power were impressed with the SAN Enertech Farm concepts. Founded and operated by Prof. Erich Erber, a global entrepreneur from Austria who fulfilled a childhood dream, based on the vision “Green the desert”. It is all about 24/7 natural and sustainable food production. The philosophy is based on four pillars, Energy, Water, Soil and Plants, which are implemented and connected in an impressive way.
Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Capsicums are growing and flourishing in the Greenhouses. On the fields there are Mango, Papaya, Lemon, Guava, Chiko, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Alfa for the compost, grapes and even Bambara nuts, which is one of the forgotten plants with high potential for alleviating world hunger. In the future, a mushroom cultivation and a chicken coop will complete the area for food production.
The intelligent Energy Management and Monitoring is “the brain” of the SE Farm. The CO2-neutral energy concept is based on the sun. An AGRI PV-system on 5000 m2 provides shade for the plants and generates energy from the power of the sun 365 days a year, which is stored in hydrogen with an innovative system.
Line Bitar remarked that this ‘green of the desert’ is more than a farm, it’s a living research platform and a replicable model for the region, a powerful reminder of what’s possible when innovation meets sustainability”.
The Water comes from wells and boreholes on the farm. It is stored in six tanks. Before it is feed into the irrigation system and distributed to the fields, it is cleaned and processed in a Reverse Osmosis System.
The Soil, the home of plants and must be provided with all the nutrients needed for growth. For this reason, compost is produced on the farm by using all organic waste. Mycelium from our own mushroom cultivation also plays a key role for a fertile soil.
The Plants and why they thrive or fail depends on Energy, Water and Soil, but also on their own seeds. The better the seeds are prepared, the better the growth. The SE Farm has integrated a seed research center, including drying and encrustation.
The Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC), Alia Busamra, remarked that she was “pleased to visit the SAN Enertech Farm and witness firsthand the implementation of integrated, sustainable technologies. This initiative highlights the critical role of private sector innovation in advancing clean energy solutions and accelerating the transition to a green economy”.
She further went on to say that “the visit to the SAN Enertech Farm provided valuable insights into practical, scalable initiatives spanning use of clean energy, energy efficiency, water management and recycling. The integrated approach demonstrated how interconnected sustainability systems can deliver real, measurable impact and reinforce collaboration across sectors”.
Thank you to Martina Bauer for the invitation for the CEBC to join the visit & for text & photos.
