The greenhouses will be bigger than the O2 Arena and warmed by residual heat from nearby water recycling centres owned by Anglian Water.

Construction of the project will begin immediately with completion expected in autumn 2020.

Main greenhouse works will be carried out by Dutch specialist contractor Bom Group with the energy centre built by ESB.

Commercial-scale growers from the UK and the Netherlands have already committed to leasing the space.

The greenhouses will provide ideal growing conditions for a range of plants and vegetables requiring a high-heat, and relatively low-light environments such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Once operational, the greenhouses will be capable of producing more than 1 in 10 of the country’s tomatoes, and will create 360 permanent new jobs.

James Samworth, Partner at Greencoat Capital, 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.

“We see considerable opportunity to invest in renewable heat in the UK, providing pensions investors with the predictable returns they require to pay beneficiaries, meanwhile reducing our carbon emissions as an economy.”

Dr Lu Gilfoyle, Head of Environmental Quality at Anglian Water said: “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.”