Hydroponic horticultural production continues and increases at the Fri-El greenhouses in Ostellato (Ferrara). In this period, the main productions feature cucumbers, snack cucumbers, as well as premium cherry, oblong, date, mini plum, cluster, premium cluster and cocktail tomatoes.
"These are the types currently produced and sold. We work under the H2Orto brand, our own brand, where each package shows our cultivation method and our company policy based on sustainability, in addition to the certifications. The rest of the products are sold under the customers' private labels. In both cases, tray sizes start from 200 grams and in some cases reach 700 grams," explains sales manager Davide D'Ignoto.
© Pierluigi Benini
Regarding the most popular product types, D'Ignoto says that "all our varieties are subject to demand. Perhaps in Italy there is more demand for bulk cluster tomatoes, while across the border there is more demand for cocktail tomatoes. In addition, we have increased the production of snack cucumbers due to the strong demand from Italian and foreign supermarkets."
© Pierluigi Benini
CEO Florian Gostner explains that: "With the proposal called 'GESIIS' (co-funded by the European Union under the #InnovationFund CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) by the subsidiary FRI-EL Geopower, we have been awarded the project for the construction of a geothermal plant, which will produce 67,000 MWh per year, with the related seasonal storage of the heat produced, which will be used to heat the greenhouses all year round."
© Pierluigi Benini
"This project is part of a larger plan to make the greenhouses completely energy self-sufficient. In fact, we are working on projects for the production of electricity with photovoltaic plants on the ground (with rainwater recovery system) and floating on an inner basin. When completed, these plants will have a total capacity exceeding 60 MW. In addition, there will be a project for CO2 production and storage, making FRI-EL Green House more and more an environmentally-friendly and completely green energy production model."
© Pierluigi BeniniFlorian Gostner
At the beginning of last year, Fri-El completed the installation of a floating photovoltaic plant on the Ostellato 3-4 reservoir, with a capacity of 2.7 MW. In addition, in autumn 2025, a ground-mounted photovoltaic plant with a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 16.8 MW was started. "In parallel, we have started the conversion of the biogas plant to biomethane, which allows up to 7,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year to be recovered and reused for greenhouse plant nutrition. Finally, the biomethane plant was completed and went into operation at the beginning of March, while the approximately 17 MW photovoltaic plant will be completed in the coming months," concludes Gostner.
For more information
H2ORTO
Via delle Serre 1
44020 Ostellato (Ferrara) - Italy
+39 0533 57411
www.h2orto.it
