Construction insect production facility Koppert

At the end of February 2018, after an intensive preparation period, the construction of an approx. 30,000 m² production facility for biological control agents for Koppert Biological Systems in Berkel & Rodenrijs kicked off. A year after the first pile went into the ground, the first cultivation departments for the breeding of insects were put into use and the other cultivation departments and climate and growth chambers are being prepared in phases.

This has proved to be a challenging project for all parties involved that has never been built in this form before. After all, insects cannot be lectured and simply put in a box. This requires the necessary ingenuity and improvisation. Hygiene is an absolute top issue here.

Due to hygiene requirements, all cultivation departments are equipped with a so-called mesh cover and mesh walls, all pipe and cable penetrations have an insect-proof finish as well as the steel greenhouse and cage constructions. In addition, the concrete floors are treated with a special coating that makes them easy to keep clean.

Koppert's wish was to use and split the mesh cages with maximum flexibility. Installations such as cage frames, irrigation, lighting, cultivation system and drainage are therefore constructed in such a way that Koppert can split 9.60 mtr mesh cages into 2x 4.80 mtr or even 3x 3.20 mtr mesh cages with minimal adjustments, each with their own separately controlled facilities.

Maximum flexibility has also been taken into account in the construction and design of the climate and growth chambers, for now and in the future. For example, the entire concrete floor in the halls is divided into a "cell grid" with drains, so that any type of cell can be built at a later stage.

All in all, a very special project of which Koppert, AAB and all contractors involved can be extremely proud. Partly due to their efforts, there is now a beautiful complex!