UK-first £2.4m 'circular farm' aims to turn crops into food and clean fuel

A £2.4m “circular farm” project aiming to turn crops into both food and low-carbon fuel has launched in Lincolnshire, in a UK-first move that could reshape the future of farming.

The three-year RePeat initiative is designed to tackle one of agriculture’s biggest challenges — producing food while cutting emissions and adapting to climate and market pressures.

The project brings together the University of Lincoln, Pollybell Farm and energy supplier Flogas, backed by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and Innovate UK.

A large-scale demonstrator will be established across Pollybell’s 5,000-acre estate spanning Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire.

For many farms, balancing productivity with sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult. The new model aims to address this by integrating food production, renewable energy generation and environmental land management within a single system.

At its core is renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), a low-carbon fuel produced from farm-grown biomass that can be used in existing heating systems.

This could prove significant for the 1.5 to 2 million UK homes that are off the gas grid, where affordable low-carbon heating options remain limited.

The system will also capture heat and carbon dioxide generated during fuel production and reuse it in controlled environment agriculture.

This approach could support year-round food production while reducing waste and improving efficiency.

Dr Amir Badiee, principal investigator at the University of Lincoln, said the project is focused on delivering practical results.

“RePeat is about bringing together technologies that already exist and proving they can work as a connected system on a commercial farm,” he said.

“The challenge now is not just innovation, but integration and generating the evidence needed to scale.”

The University will lead on system design, monitoring and validation to ensure the model delivers reliable, transferable data for farmers, industry and policymakers.

Pollybell Farm, which has led more than £9m in research into peatland management, biomass and controlled environment agriculture, will host the trial.

Project lead James Brown said the approach could transform how farms operate.

“The opportunity here is to rethink how land is used, producing food, generating energy and improving environmental outcomes in a single system,” he said.

“That has the potential to change the economics of farming.”

The project reflects a growing push to integrate food, energy and environmental systems within UK agriculture, as the sector looks to diversify income and improve resilience.

Flogas will explore how the fuel produced could help reduce reliance on fossil fuels in off-grid rural areas.

The project will also assess wider impacts, including rural job creation and long-term farm viability, as policy shifts towards low-carbon production and environmental land management.

Findings will be shared with government and industry, with results expected to inform future policy and investment decisions.

If successful, the model could provide a blueprint for cutting emissions without sacrificing food production — a balance central to the UK’s net zero ambitions.