Austrian SAN Group will construct a sustainable hydrogen production unit, plant and fish farming in RAKEZ Al Hamra Industrial Zone with an investment of AED12 million ($3.2 million).
This biotech facility will consist of a research center, laboratory, desalination plant, greenhouse as well as hydroponic and aquaponic indoor systems.
It will generate energy through solar power systems that serve as the source of electricity for all the buildings in the premises. Furthermore, this electricity is used to produce green hydrogen.
The facility of SAN Enertech will be fully operational by the end of 2022. The pilot research plant serves as a blueprint for regenerative agriculture in the Middle East and Africa region.
“Our new location in Ras Al Khaimah supports the long-term strategic goals of our company. When deciding where to invest, we gave paramount consideration to cost-effectiveness, the right environment, and ease of doing business, and with RAKEZ we found all the support we needed,” said Erich Erber, Founder and President of SAN Group.
He said SAN Enertech seeks to collaborate with local scientists to jointly expand the know-how and experience in the field of self-sustained farming.
“By utilizing our fully integrated system, we want to demonstrate a concept and value that can be achieved even in climates that are unstable for agriculture, by providing fresh, home-grown food supplies for a growing population,” he said.
“We will be able to prove this to ourselves, the UAE society, and the entire world through the combination of different disciplines of state-of-the-art technology,” he added.