Third Generation Polyethylene Greenhouse Cladding Materials
Lead Participant:
INNOVATE UK
Abstract
The global market for horticultural greenhouse films is £1.4bn per annum and is forecast to grow by
6% p.a. until at least 2020. BPI sales of horticulture greenhouse materials are in the order of £21m
p.a.; this represents a global market share of 1.6%. The BPI target growth is 15% per annum for the 5
years post project, on this basis BPI will see sales growth of £37m over the year 5 period (after
deducting general market growth). On this basis, the BPI global market share would increase to 2.1%
by the end of the period. This is a modest market share growth expectation. Assuming a project cost
of £1.4m this would represents a sales to project cost gearing ratio of 26:1. Sales are likely to be
significant as the sector is now highly commoditised and the novel materials will deliver clear and
substantial benefits to growers, including yield (c. +10%) and crop quality increases, as well the
potential to reduce manual labour (reduced ventilation of fruit tunnels via IR reflection). Any means to
reduce the reliance on manual labour will be a significant benefit to growers. A significant benefit of
driving yield and quality via greenhouse films is that the environmental impacts are almost entirely
passive; in fact increasing yield per unit area can reduce environmental impacts as fewer chemicals
are required per unit area, and a lower tonnage of film per unit of production. There will also be
highly significant benefits to Schulmans in terms of master batch sales. Haygrove Tunnels will benefit
in terms of the added value from film and novel tunnel sales. As well as production benefits, Berry
Gardens and Finlay’s will benefit from having a 3 year lead on the development of novel technology
which could underpin greenhouse productions systems for a considerable time in the future. There
may be significant opportunities to extend patent developments into other industrial sectors, there is
considerable interest in IR reflective materials for building heat control (reducing air conditioning
loads).
6% p.a. until at least 2020. BPI sales of horticulture greenhouse materials are in the order of £21m
p.a.; this represents a global market share of 1.6%. The BPI target growth is 15% per annum for the 5
years post project, on this basis BPI will see sales growth of £37m over the year 5 period (after
deducting general market growth). On this basis, the BPI global market share would increase to 2.1%
by the end of the period. This is a modest market share growth expectation. Assuming a project cost
of £1.4m this would represents a sales to project cost gearing ratio of 26:1. Sales are likely to be
significant as the sector is now highly commoditised and the novel materials will deliver clear and
substantial benefits to growers, including yield (c. +10%) and crop quality increases, as well the
potential to reduce manual labour (reduced ventilation of fruit tunnels via IR reflection). Any means to
reduce the reliance on manual labour will be a significant benefit to growers. A significant benefit of
driving yield and quality via greenhouse films is that the environmental impacts are almost entirely
passive; in fact increasing yield per unit area can reduce environmental impacts as fewer chemicals
are required per unit area, and a lower tonnage of film per unit of production. There will also be
highly significant benefits to Schulmans in terms of master batch sales. Haygrove Tunnels will benefit
in terms of the added value from film and novel tunnel sales. As well as production benefits, Berry
Gardens and Finlay’s will benefit from having a 3 year lead on the development of novel technology
which could underpin greenhouse productions systems for a considerable time in the future. There
may be significant opportunities to extend patent developments into other industrial sectors, there is
considerable interest in IR reflective materials for building heat control (reducing air conditioning
loads).
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
---|---|---|
INNOVATE UK | £347,417 | £ 117,465 |
  | ||
Participant |
||
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN | ||
NIAB. | ||
FLAMINGO FLOWERS LIMITED | £87,504 | £ 30,626 |
NATIONAL INST OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY | ||
UNIVERSITY OF READING | ||
UNIVERSITY OF READING | £435,443 | |
HAYGROVE LIMITED | £87,349 | £ 30,572 |
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN | £215,464 | |
BERRY GARDENS GROWERS LIMITED | £128,695 | £ 44,799 |
FLAMINGO HORTICULTURE INVESTMENTS LIMITED |
People |
ORCID iD |