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Construction is about to begin on two pioneering low-carbon greenhouses in Norfolk and Suffolk that will be kept warm with waste heat recovered from nearby water treatment facilities operated by Anglian Water.
The buildings, located on farmland close to Norwich and Bury St Edmunds, will stand around 7 metres tall, allowing crops to be grown hydroponically up vertical guidewires. With a combined footprint of 29 hectares, they will be among the largest greenhouses in the country.
The waste heat will be recovered using the biggest heat pumps ever deployed in the UK, which will be subsidised through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. The pumps will be powered by gas-fired combined heat and power units that will funnel their carbon emissions into the greenhouses to accelerate plant growth.
Project developer Oasthouse Ventures has given the go-ahead after Greenhouse Capital secured £120 million of investment from a number of public and private pension funds in the UK.
“Delivering a world first low-carbon greenhouse system is hugely exciting for the small team who took this from conception, design and planning, to contracting and now construction,” said Oasthouse Ventures director Andy Allen.
“The environmental, social and political benefits of these systems are significant, and we look forward to further disrupting the traditional carbon heavy models of agriculture.”
Greencoat Capital partner James Samworth said: “We’re very pleased to have achieved another innovative first in the UK renewable energy sector. Technology and cross-sector co-operation is continuing to unlock some amazing possibilities in energy and agriculture.”
Lu Gilfoyle, head of environmental quality at Anglian Water, added: “It has been great to be involved in such an innovative project, helping to solve a number of challenges for Anglian.
“Removing excess heat from the river systems is a priority for DEFRA and ourselves, and it is fantastic to be able to put that heat energy to good use.”
Construction is expected to be completed in autumn 2020. ESB will install and operate the energy infrastructure for the sites.
The greenhouses will capable of producing 20 tonnes of tomatoes each day – around one tenth of total UK output. Greencoat Capital said their carbon footprint will be around 75 per cent lower when compared to tomatoes imported from continental Europe.
Commercial growers from the UK and Netherlands have already committed to leasing the space.
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