A group of entrepreneurs from the Kievit greenhouse area in Grashoek, the Netherlands, have come together to create a new vision for expansion, with a strong focus on sustainability. This plan includes building new greenhouses and potentially adding two windmills. Aware of the sensitivity around windmills, the entrepreneurs have decided to communicate openly about their plans from the beginning.
"In the past, we looked into geothermal energy, but that turned out to be impossible," says Thom van Mullekom, cucumber and strawberry grower, in a report that appeared in De Limburger and Omroep Peel en Maas. "With wind energy, we can drive heat pumps, which in turn heat the greenhouses. This way, we work hand in hand with nature." The wind turbines will each be a maximum of 230 meters high and can each produce between 6 and 8 megawatts of power.
Currently, around thirty hectares in the area are dedicated to growing cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries. Kievit is one of the few designated greenhouse horticulture concentration areas in the region, allowing companies from outside to also set up operations there. Nearly all local companies have plans to grow, and a strawberry grower from outside the area is interested in establishing in Grashoek, too. The entrepreneurs collectively aim to expand the area to 100 hectares.
Generating local energy for greenhouses
Placing the wind turbines near the greenhouses creates a unique situation where local entrepreneurs can generate their own sustainable energy right on site. With energy supply and demand located next to each other, this setup reduces the need for extensive cabling and minimizes energy loss. Currently, the two wind turbines can meet 90 percent of the growers' energy needs. After all the planned expansions, they are expected to cover around 40 to 60 percent of the energy requirements.
On July 9, the entrepreneurs are hosting an open house event to engage the local community in their plans. If all goes well, they aim to start constructing the wind turbines in the latter half of 2027. A preliminary request, which is the first step in seeking approval from the municipality of Peel & Maas and/or the province of Limburg, is expected to be submitted by mid-2025. The growers believe their plans for sustainable energy align well with the new environmental vision for Limburg.
Index photo: impression from the presentation of plans Garden Establishment De Kievit
For more information:
Tuinbouwvestiging De Kievit
www.dekievitbv.nl