Article

post cover image

Sustainable Heating for Large-Scale Agriculture

Image of We Don't Have Time
We Don't Have Time

19 w

•

How circular heat systems keep a greenhouse warm

Type of energy user: Light industry
Heating a massive 20-hectare commercial greenhouse requires significant energy, but the Fenland Glasshouse project found a highly sustainable way to meet this demand.
The site utilizes a 60 MW energy center that combines gas engines for electricity with a 33 MW thermal heat pump system.
These industrial heat pumps capture and recover ambient heat from the large irrigation water ponds on the property. Equipped with Alfa Laval semi-welded plate heat exchangers and utilizing future-proof natural ammonia refrigerant, the system efficiently delivers the hot water needed to heat the greenhouse while maintaining a small environmental footprint.
Additional benefits:
  • Integrated energy system: The greenhouse combines heat pumps with CHP (combined heat and power), using on-site electricity generation to power lighting and operations—creating a highly self-sufficient energy ecosystem.
  • Rapid deployment at scale: Built as a greenfield project between 2021 and 2022, the facility shows how large-scale sustainable agriculture infrastructure can be developed quickly.
  • Policy-backed viability: The project qualifies for the UK’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), highlighting how supportive policy frameworks can accelerate investment in low-carbon heating solutions.
Learn more.
Sign up for your Energy Efficiency Guide:



    Follow us

    Our Platform

    What is a climate review

    Events and broadcasts

    I want to help out

    Terms of use

    About us

    Our cause

    Our organization

    Press & media

    Sustainability

    Investor relations

    Partners

    For businesses and organizations

    Become a partner

    © 2026 We Don't Have Time – All rights reserved.

    We Don’t Have Time is the world’s largest media platform for climate action – with a mission to democratize knowledge about climate solutions and inspire and mobilize global action toward a prosperous, fossil-free future. The content of the We Don't Have Time social network is user-generated. The We Don’t Have Time organization does not automatically endorse users’ opinions and claims. All users of We Don’t Have Time have subscribed to We Don’t Have Time’s Terms of Use, which, among other things, prohibits hateful, abusive, and violent content. If you discover content that violates our Terms of Use, please notify us immediately. The platform is operated by the company WeDontHaveTime AB (publ), whose majority shareholder is the WeDontHaveTime Foundation. The Foundation’s principal purpose is to contribute to a reduced climate impact and an ecologically sustainable environment. Our headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Please read our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.