SINGAPORE: Gallant Venture has partnered Obayashi Corporation –one of Japan’s largest general contractors–to pilot a technologically-advanced eco-tourism focused greenhouse on Bintan island, Indonesia.

This was announced at the Joint Development Agreement Signing Ceremony. PT Persada Hijau Cemerlang (PHC), a company owned by Gallant Venture and Salim Group, will work with Obayashi Corporation to fine-tune the latter’s pioneering technology to build the Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park–a greenhouse optimised for the tropical climate using advanced environmental controls.

The Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park aims to cultivate premium crops with improved sustainability and higher yields. Crops from this urban agri-technology showcase will be commercialised for export to Singapore and beyond.

 A Visitor and Education Centre for tourists and students is also in the works to promote agri-technology.

 The imminent launch of the Bintan Resorts International Airport and the upcoming Bintan-Batam sea bridge is expected to catalyse tourism demand for Bintan island. In response, Bintan Resorts’ hotel room inventory is expected to grow five times to 10,000.

The Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park will further increase the island’s appeal as a destination with wide-ranging experiences for different tourists including families, adventure-seekers, photography enthusiasts, MICE and business travellers, students and more.

They will also be able to enjoy farm-to-table culinary experiences while Bintan Resorts becomes more self-sustainable. The Agritech Park will also be an eco-tourism destination. The Visitor and Education Centre will offer educational tours to deepen the public’s knowledge of urban technology-driven cultivation.

“This collaboration yields strong synergies and Gallant Venture is thrilled by the opportunity to join Obayashi Corporation in pioneering new technology for Southeast Asia’s ecology. It is a small testament of our effort to prepare Bintan island as the Agritech sandbox of the region,” commented Mr. Eugene Park, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gallant Venture.

“The Agritech Park offers visitors opportunities to learn about this innovative solution and will join a slew of attractions that visitors can experience at our award-winning integrated tropical beach resort destination. In line with Gallant Venture’s sustainability mission, other features such as solar panels will also be installed at the Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park to support the daytime energy consumption of the greenhouse,” he added.

Most crops in the Southeast Asian region are grown on open farms. These use a high volume of water. Although current greenhouse technology can boost productivity, conventional structures require constant climate control in tropical climates, making their use costly and unsustainable. This new tropical agritech greenhouse merges Obayashi Corporation’s construction expertise with strong agricultural know-how to address these challenges.

The Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park will leverage on environmental controls to create optimal growth conditions for Japanese-grade cherry tomatoes and kale. Tapping on Obayashi’s technology and experience in understanding plant physiology, the high-tech greenhouse will also utilise heat and air flow analysis.

The greenhouse will be equipped with a complex environmental control system that regulates temperature, humidity and light intensity to maximise crop production and quality as well as reduce water usage.

“As part of the Obayashi Sustainability Vision 2050, we have begun several new initiatives including developing a proven model cultivating premium cherry tomatoes at our greenhouse in Katori City, Japan,” said Mr. Yuichi Yamamoto, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager of Technology Business Development Division, Obayashi Corporation.

“To expand our Sustainability Vision 2050, several sites across the region were evaluated. Bintan emerged as the choice location with its rich resources and close proximity to Singapore. We are excited to partner Gallant Venture to customise this technology for Southeast Asia’s environmental conditions and bring our laboratory simulations to life,” he concluded.