adi Projects

This interview details adi Projects, a company based in the UK. The interview is with Ian Hart, Business Development Director at adi Projects.

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What is the origin story of adi Projects? 

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adi Projects is part of the multidisciplinary engineering firm adi Group. As one of the Group’s key divisions, it has made a name for itself due to its groundbreaking turnkey approach, delivering successful projects to some of the biggest names in the Food & Beverage industry and beyond. 

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What are some of the biggest challenges facing adi Projects in the future?  

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One of the most difficult challenges to navigate is striking an effective balance between the three factors of programme, quality and cost, to provide solutions that fully cover clients’ needs and meet their expectations. This includes delivering to the highest possible standards while getting to market as quickly as possible, supplying cost-effective solutions and creating viable projects. And overall, catering to the changing needs of the industry, particularly energy usage, remains a significant challenge. 

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What is unique about adi Projects compared to competitors? 

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adi Projects, along with the other divisions within the multidisciplinary engineering firm adi Group, pioneered a highly effective self-delivered turnkey model in the UK, revolutionising the industry’s approach to business. Acting as clients’ single point of responsibility, we handle complex projects from the earliest concept stages through to design and execution, tailoring our solutions to each individual client and industry. This model allows us to take complete ownership of projects to more effectively address the unique needs of customers and reduce their project risks. Working with a single entity from the planning stages guarantees speed of delivery, efficiency and success whilst reducing cost to the client. 

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What are some trends you are seeing in the indoor farming market currently?  

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There are a range of new opportunities that are starting to come through in the UK market. There are new players entering the field to produce different products than traditionally – and this requires a different approach to designing the facility. The challenge is that not one of them can be exactly the same, so we have to create bespoke facilities, every time. 

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As well as traditional products, there are now higher value products that are being produced inside of vertical farms. So traditionally, it was lettuce and herbs. Now, we are seeing products like cannabis and fruits. Essentially, we can grow slightly different products because indoor farming allows for better control over the environment, so you can grow different strains of a product with better taste profiles that couldn't be produced outdoors. You just don't have the same challenges in terms of pests and pesticides affecting crops, so more fragile products can be grown. 

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Do you use CO2 in your indoor farm designs today - if so, how much and what do you pay for it? What are your thoughts on CO2 usage in indoor farms? 

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It depends on the products being made. Usually, being able to add CO2 into the indoor farming process is quite important. However, there are obviously problems with that because if you have too much CO2, then the atmosphere you're working in is not safe for humans and of course, there are environmental risks. 

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Whenever possible, we take CO2 from an energy source such as a boiler plant or CHP engine, where you’re producing CO2 as part of the combustion process rather than attempting to buy big tanks of gas, so we use renewable processes, being as sustainable as we can. Overall, where it's warranted, we do include CO2 in our designs, but we attempt to supply it from renewable and sustainable sources. 

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Energy is a big topic in indoor farming right now. How much do you pay for electricity (kWh)? Is it mainly from the grid or renewables? 

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Rates of electricity depend on individual companies’ negotiation. Where possible, we look at renewable sources of electricity such as solar farms or wind turbines. It all depends on the site, and using sources of electricity that are local to the site is vital. There could be big buildings with solar panels which can match the electricity needs, or battery storage with power available to be used later on. In some cases, we might build a CHP plant, with electricity being produced, and the waste heat can then be converted into chilled water using an Absorption Chiller, which can be useful in terms of reducing your refrigeration costs inside a factory. So, we know people pay anywhere from 25 to 45p, but there are different things you can do to minimize the cost of electricity. 

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How can people connect with you or learn more about adi Projects? 

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Our main website includes everything there is to know about our company: adi Projects | Project Management Services | adi Group Ltd (adiltd.co.uk) 

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To get in touch with our team and discuss your specific needs, please visit: Contact | adi (adiltd.co.uk)

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