A £2.4 million glasshouse powered entirely by geothermal energy has opened at the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme Park. The facility provides year-round stable heat, allowing crops typically imported from abroad to be grown locally, including tomatoes, strawberries and even trial vines.
The site forms part of Greater Lincolnshire’s food economy, which supplies one eighth of England’s food and supports 75,000 jobs. By replacing conventional energy with geothermal heat, the project is designed to reduce costs and carbon emissions while strengthening food security.
The initiative also acts as a test case for wider investment in controlled environment agriculture. Proving the model at scale could draw funding into the county, create skilled jobs and lessen the UK’s reliance on imports.
The glasshouse sits alongside smaller projects already underway in Lincolnshire, including insect farming from food waste and the development of organic fertilisers. Together, these ventures highlight the county’s role as a leader in sustainable agriculture and a centre for innovation in food production.
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