One of Europe’s largest and most advanced greenhouses has been granted planning approval by Essex County Council.
Developed by Rivenhall Greenhouse, the project combines greenhouse production at strategic scale with co-located energy infrastructure to deliver consistent, year-round supply with significantly lower carbon intensity.
The business said the approval marked a significant moment in the UK’s ability to re-shore food production at scale at a time when it remains heavily dependent on imported fresh produce.
“From the outset, we saw the opportunity presented by the Rivenhall site as transformational in how Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facilities are designed, located and operated,” said Ed Moorhouse, Rivenhall Greenhouse project director. “We are delighted that this vision has been supported by Essex County Council today and look forward to working with them and developing the site and county as a leading CEA European hub.
“This is a good day for UK horticultural and the nation’s food security and resilience.”
It has a strategic partnership with Indaver Integrated Waste Management Facility, through which the greenhouse will source approximately 90% of its heat, alongside 100% of its electricity and a sustainable supply of CO2 for crop growth.
Rivenhall said this circular economy approach provided a more stable and predictable energy cost base than conventional greenhouse operations, especially in light of the current instability due to the Iran war.
Indaver commercial & business development director Micheál Geary said Indaver was “proud to support a project that sets a new benchmark for sustainable infrastructure”.
“This partnership demonstrates how industry and agriculture can work together to reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency and strengthen supply resilience,” added Geary.
At full capacity the site could produce 30,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually – equivalent to around 7.5% of current UK imports.
The site can also grow cucumbers, peppers or strawberries.
The £150m investment is also expected to create over 400 jobs and support further development in research, skills and education.
The business said a further pipeline of five comparable large-scale CEA developments had been identified across the UK, which represented “a significant opportunity to accelerate domestic food production capacity”.
“However, delivery at scale will depend on a more supportive policy environment, including financial incentives, planning reform and recognition of CEA (along with sovereign food production) as a strategically important component of national infrastructure and a frontier industry within the UK’s emerging industrial strategy,” the business said.
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