Some time has passed since the last update here on the site. Not because the project has stood still — quite the opposite. The work has simply been happening more in drawings, documents, meetings and emails than in visible activity on the ground.
But things are now beginning to come together.
The first major milestone is that the application for land allocation in Narsarsuaq has now been submitted and has been through public consultation. The project is applying for an overall framework area of approximately 22 hectares on the plain. That does not mean that all of it will be cultivated or built on — far from it. The intention is precisely the opposite: to have room to work slowly and carefully in the landscape, and to use only small parts at a time. In the first years it will realistically only be a couple of hectares that are taken into use.
The actual start is very modest.
The first step is to establish a market garden of 500–1000 m², primarily on open ground using lighter (and inexpensive) cultivation methods such as raised beds, polytunnels and low-tech greenhouses inspired by northern Chinese designs.
In addition, we are working to establish the first prototype greenhouse — around 100 m² — this summer.
It may sound small, but the point is precisely to begin at a scale where you can get to know the place in practice. The climate, the soil, the logistics, the energy — everything that can only really be understood when you are standing in the middle of it.
The whole idea behind Ilua is actually quite simple: to figure out how fresh food can be produced in South Greenland in a way that is robust, local and realistic.
The greenhouse is therefore not conceived as a classic imported model. The construction has been developed specifically for the conditions in Narsarsuaq. A heavy north wall that stores heat, and a steep south-facing roof that can capture the low Arctic sun. Beneath the floor, a large sand battery is planned, which can store heat from the summer and provide a stable temperature through the winter.
Inside the greenhouse, cultivation will most likely be a combination of aeroponic systems and more traditional methods. The aim is to be able to grow tomatoes, strawberries and various leafy greens with very little water and a relatively low energy demand. The system is designed to recirculate almost all of the water and to use grow lights during the dark months.
At the same time, we are working on the more grounded, practical side of things.
An overall concept plan has been made for the system inside the greenhouse — pumps, pipes, ventilation, sensors, lighting and control. The whole thing has to function stably and simply, also in a small community far from spare-parts inventories and specialist technicians.
The first contacts with companies and specialists who may become part of the project are also beginning to come in. The intention is to develop the solution in dialogue with people who have experience with greenhouses and technical systems.
All of this is still happening on the drawing board.
But it is starting to take shape.
If the next steps fall into place — especially the land allocation — the plan is to begin the first physical work in Narsarsuaq during the coming season. First, surveying and preparation of the area, and then the prototype greenhouse itself.
Ilua is still a small project. But the idea is simple: to start small, learn from the place, and build something up over time.
We will write again here when the next chapter begins.
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