Oreon completes major project: new Steiner Gemüsebau greenhouse in Emmerting

Since mid-October, the tomatoes from grower Gemüsebau Steiner in Emmerting, Germany, have been illuminated with LED fixtures from Oreon. The plants grow fast, the fruits take on a beautiful red color and reach a perfect weight. In August, Oreon installed the “Dutch Powerhouse Empress”, over a 43,000 square meter (approx. 10.6 acres) surface area.

 

Earlier this year, Oreon reached an agreement with Steiner. This family business is one of the largest tomato growers in Germany, and the first tomato grower in Germany to have converted entirely to LED lighting. The installer, Indagro Lighting BVBA, under the management of Erik Creve, first assembled the configurations in a special unit in Belgium. After that, the actual installation, fixtures, and cooling could be completed at lightning speed in Emmerting, near the Austrian border. Main contractor Horticoop has coordinated the entire installation of electricity, water and heating. Thanks to the pleasant cooperation with Horticoop, Indagro and Oreon all deadlines were reached in time, despite COVID19. The installation was completed according to schedule and the lighting was put into operation on time.

Gemüsebau Steiner’s new greenhouse is state of the art, using solar and geothermal energy and now also water-cooled LED fixtures. Steiner opted for Oreon’s LED fixtures because they were targeting a higher growth rate, better weight and a higher quality crop. These were already exceeding expectations during pilot testing. Steiner’s ultimate goal is to produce as efficiently and sustainably as possible.

The vast majority of Gemüsebau Steiner's harvest ends up with regional customers, in this case in the state of Bavaria. But all over Europe, eyes are on Steiner: not only does the family business cover a great area, but they are also considered to be one of the most progressive growers on the continent. 

Oreon has found working with Gemüsebau Steiner to be especially satisfying:“The Steiner Gemüsebau project has been a really great experience for Oreon, right from the start. Steiner’s thorough approach to the lighting purchase suits Oreon very well. First a well-coordinated pilot, a bit of tweaking, and then knowing exactly what lighting to install, and what spectrum to use. Thanks to the meticulous preparation, the final result is fantastic,” says Peter Barentsen, Sales Manager at Oreon.