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kessingland

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As well as being our largest project to date, the deal marks another major step in our ambitious growth plans to double generation capacity within the next five years. It is the second project to be funded by Fair Play Clean Energy Ltd, Thrive’s Joint Venture with TopCashback Sustainability, which brings together a combined £80 million in capital to fund new clean energy projects in the UK.
Construction of the proposed 14-turbine site is expected to start in 2025, with commissioning planned by the end of 2026. Once operational, it will be capable of generating up to 149,400 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering 46,100 average UK homes<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>, and delivering 65,300 tonnes of emissions reductions<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>.
The Whitelaw Brae wind project was originally owned by developer, BayWa r.e., with Thrive acquiring the project in December 2024 following the successful completion of a competitive tender in October 2024.
Thrive has a record of delivering community and shared ownership, both at our own sites and by providing funding for community-owned energy projects. Now, we’ve acquired Whitelaw Brae, we aim to facilitate shared ownership at this site with Ripple Energy&#8217;s latest coop.

The wind farm site is located 15 km north of Moffat and 3 km south of Tweedsmuir. It is also near the River Tweed which, as part of the £25 million Destination Tweed initiative, will see the creation of a 113-mile source to sea River Tweed Trail connecting communities and attractions along the length of the river from Moffat to Berwick-upon-Tweed. The project aims to improve the landscape and river habitat and offer a unique experience to locals and visitors alike, expected to be completed across five years.  
&nbsp;
[1] Based on an annual generation of 149GWh and calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) showing that UK average domestic household consumption is 3,239kWh per annum <a id="menur1gr" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/" href="https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/">https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/</a>
[1] Calculated using DESNZ’s “all non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 437 tonnes of carbon dioxide per GWh of electricity supplied in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (July 2024) <a id="menur1gt" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/" href="https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/">https://www.renewableuk.com/energypulse/ukwed/</a>

thrive-renewables-7

Thrive Renewables

From funding some of the UK’s first onshore wind farms in the early 1990s to a new 14-turbine site, we’re harnessing the country’s abundant wind resource to deliver clean power to homes and businesses.

We’ve acquired the development rights for our biggest project to date – a 57MW onshore wind farm in Scotland

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1. Renewables are about to take over fossil fuels for the first time ever  
At the time of writing, the UK is on track to make a major breakthrough – with renewable energy generation set to overtake fossil fuels for the first full year. According to the think tank, Ember, the country’s naturally abundant wind, solar and hydro resources will generate 37% of the UK’s electricity in 2024 compared to fossil fuels (35%) – this will be the first time that renewables have outperformed fossil fuels consistently across four quarters.  
That might not sound like a lot, but it’s important to recognise how far we’ve come, especially as just three years ago fossil fuels generated 46% of UK electricity and renewables generated 27%. 
2. Government puts net zero at the heart of its plans  
A new Government was elected in July and the party made a number of quick policy announcements, reaffirming its commitment to net zero and recognising the swift action that is needed if the country is to meet its climate targets. 
There were a number of promises made as part of its election manifesto – including the creation of a nationalised energy company (Great British Energy), radical planning reform, more support for local power generation and the promise of a rooftop solar revolution. While we’ll have to wait and see how some of these evolve, there has already been strong progress in some important areas – including the removal of the effective ban on onshore wind and the UK’s biggest Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction to date, with the budget increasing from £1 billion to over £1.5 billion. Over 130 wind, solar and tidal projects secured long term price stability, including our Abergorkie wind farm site in Wales.  
Last week, we also saw the announcement of the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/675bfaa4cfbf84c3b2bcf986/clean-power-2030-action-plan.pdf">Government’s Clean Power 2030 action plan</a>, which outlines how it will achieve the “most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations”. Key measures include speeding up planning decisions and reducing grid connection times, as well as a focus on ensuring that communities directly benefit from clean energy infrastructure. 
3. We breezed past a new milestone for wind generation 
The UK achieved 30GW of wind capacity this year, following the successful powering of the 434MW Viking wind farm on the Shetland Islands in August. According to RenewableUK, 30GW is enough to meet the annual power needs of 26 million homes and can cut carbon emissions by more than 35 million tonnes a year. 
As one of the first companies to fund UK wind farms in the early 90s, we have long believed in the power of these mighty machines. And while this milestone feels like it’s been a long time coming for us, it’s a huge success for the industry – especially given the fact that it took 26 years to install the first 15GW of wind energy in the UK and that has now been doubled in just seven years. 
It’s proven that onshore wind is one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity today and therefore has a vital role to play in our transition away from fossil fuels. Now we have seen the de facto ban lifted in England, we hope to see many more wind projects making their way through planning and into development, as well as a renewed focus on repowering, which will see older sites that have reached the end of their life replaced with fewer, but more efficient, machines with the capability to generate more clean electricity.   
4. The UK became the first G7 country to fully divest in coal power 
In September, the UK closed its doors on its last coal plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar &#8211; the first G7 country to completely phase out the use of coal for generating power. Ending over a century of burning coal to generate electricity, we have moved from coal accounting for more than 95% of the UK’s electricity generation to 0% today. In another positive announcement, the government recently confirmed that it will be introducing legislation that will ensure no new coal mining licences will be issued in future. 
5. Thrive kicked off celebrations for thirty years of funding and building clean energy projects
It wouldn’t be a 2024 round up if we didn’t celebrate one of our own significant milestones from this year – our 30th birthday. Since 1994, we’ve been committed to climate action, funding and building new clean energy projects that put people and planet at their heart.  
By working together, we’ve been able to achieve some great things, whether it be enabling the first commercial sized wind farm to transfer into community hands or investing in the UK’s first deep geothermal production plant. In total, we’ve built or funded 42 clean energy projects that have saved over two million tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. And we’re only just getting started. 2025 looks set to be another exciting year and we look forward to working with you – our Thrive community – to create a better, cleaner future for the generations to come.

caton-winter-2

caton winter 2

We look back on some of the renewable energy wins from 2024. 

2024 in review: Reasons to be climate positive this Christmas

Thrive has made a significant investment in Gulliver, which is now nearly 20 years old, to ensure it runs reliably into the future  &#8211; generating clean power for homes and businesses across the UK.  The 2.75MW turbine is capable of generating clean electricity for more than 2,200 average UK homes a year.

Since Thrive invested in the project in 2005, Lowestoft has become a growing hub for renewables. The Orbis Energy Centre has been established next door to Ness Point wind turbine – a flagship focus for the east of England’s renewables network and home to a range of innovative organisations supporting the sector. Lowestoft is also central for servicing the growing number of offshore wind farms in the area. 
In the latest round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme which provides energy efficiency grants to community hubs near its projects, Seething and Mundham Village Hall near Ness Point was awarded £980 to install LED lighting. The measures will help the popular community centre reduce its energy bills and carbon footprint.

Works taking place during overhaul of Ness Point wind turbine. 

ness-point

ness point

The nacelle and blades have been replaced to secure the turbine’s long term future.  

Ness Point wind turbine back in action following successful overhaul

<a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thrive-Climate-Report-2023-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thrive’s latest climate report</a> for 2023 highlights key updates on our path to net zero by the end of the decade:
<ul>
<li>Maintained scope 1 and 2 emissions at zero (down from a baseline of 2.9 tCO2e in 2019). *</li>
<li>For the second year running, we reported comprehensive emissions estimates across our seven relevant scope 3 categories, which include all areas relating to the construction and operation of our clean energy projects.</li>
<li>Reduced carbon intensity of business travel by 17% in 2023 compared to 2022.</li>
<li>Calculated avoided emissions (sometimes referred to as scope 4) to illustrate the wider carbon impact of the business.</li>
</ul>

Emission reductions are the emissions ‘avoided’ from the operation of our portfolio of clean energy projects. These serve as a key metric to illustrate the wider positive carbon impact of the business.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8005" src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph.png" alt="" width="903" height="405" srcset="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph.png 903w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph-300x135.png 300w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NZ-report-24-graph-768x344.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 903px) 100vw, 903px" />
It is important to note that 2022 was a very successful year for project construction and that our reported emissions include the full construction footprint of three new projects. By comparison in 2023, our reported emissions only include the construction of one small rooftop project. Despite this yearly variation in our highest emissions area, it is useful to see how much greater our avoided emissions are in both years.
Our eyes are now fixed on the 2024 reporting year as we continue rolling out more clean energy projects and helping businesses to decarbonise. We are committed to continually reporting our emissions and reviewing our strategy on an annual basis.
*Thrive’s emissions are reported using The Greenhouse Gas protocol framework that splits emissions into three categories:
Scope 1 – Direct emissions from sources that a company owns or controls directly e.g. the gas used for our heating.
Scope 2 – Indirect emissions coming from the energy it purchases and uses e.g. the electricity powering our office.
Scope 3 – Indirect emissions resulting from sources that are not controlled or owned by the company. For example, the resulting emissions from our supply chain or employee commuting and business travel.

avonmouth-yellow-flowers

Avonmouth yellow flowers

Our positive contribution to reducing UK emissions far outweighs our carbon footprint. But we take responsibility for the emissions we make in the course of our operations.

2023 Net Zero Report – Scopes 1 & 2 remain at zero and carbon intensity of business travel reduced by 17%

The record low is followed by the symbolic closure of the UK’s last coal fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September – ending over a century of burning coal to generate electricity.
At the beginning of the 20th century, coal accounted for more than 95% of the UK’s electricity generation. Now it is 0%.
The UK is the first G7 nation to completely phase out the use of coal to generate power. A few weeks ago, the government also confirmed it will introduce legislation to ban new coal mining licences.
Whilst renewables have played a crucial role in helping the UK phase out coal, we’ve still got a lot of work to do. In its recent report the National Energy Systems Operator stressed that net zero by 2030 is ambitious but achievable, if we expand renewables capacity swiftly and significantly – tripling solar and doubling onshore wind.
As the UK shifts towards a new era of green energy jobs, it’s crucial that no one is left behind and we’re working hard to play our part in a fair and inclusive energy transition. Thrive is proud to help fund community-led projects like the Ambition Community Energy wind turbine in Bristol which is providing a deprived community with a source of revenue. The charity behind the project, Ambition Lawrence Weston, is also preparing local people to take their place in the changing green economy through community-based advice, support and upskilling.

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ACE_June_2024-6

Record low for fossil fuels on the grid as renewables soar.

Life after coal: what's next for UK energy?

<a href="/news/2024/11/vision-for-the-future-facilitating-a-just-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In our last blog,</a> we shared the ways we’re working to facilitate a just transition, from using our business as a force for good to supporting community owned renewable energy projects. As part of our 30th birthday celebrations, we asked influential climate campaigners for their thoughts on what the wider sector needs to do to achieve a just energy transition by the end of the decade. 
James Vaccaro  
Catalyst, strategist and thought leader in sustainability and positive impact finance, CEO of RePattern and former Thrive Executive Director.  
<ol>
<li> Integrating smarter design into energy infrastructure to help deliver multiple positive social and environmental impacts. That can include greater community ownership and social benefits, but also schemes such as agri-solar. </li>
<li> The community-of-interest ownership model, alongside cooperatives and other shared-ownership models, offer a balanced solution to support investment in key assets – including nature restoration sites, transmission and storage infrastructure etc. </li>
<li> It is important for leadership within the industry to integrate adaptation and mitigation solutions (efficiency measures plus generation) to support community resilience– in conjunction with well-designed local development plans that address other areas of vulnerability.</li>
</ol>
Emma Howard Boyd CBE 
Previously Chair of the Environment Agency and an ex-officio board member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Currently Chair of ClientEarth, Chair of the London Climate Resilience Review and former Thrive Non Executive Director.  
We are entering a new era. The world’s warmest year on record was 2023. Europe is warming at around twice the global rate.  
This June to August, in 2024, is currently on course to be the world’s hottest on record, even as El Niño fades. And wherever you are in the world, it’s the most vulnerable – those who’ve contributed the least to this catastrophe – who are forced to shoulder the heaviest burden of its consequences. A recent paper in ‘Nature’ said: “Given how close 2023 was to the ominous 1.5°C warming threshold, it is imperative that we prepare for previously unthinkable and unseasonal heat extremes.”  
With a new national government taking power, now is the time to emphasise that making smarter, more resilient choices to achieve a just energy transition is in the long-term interest. 
<ol>
<li> Simply put, adaptation is non negotiable and ensuring the most vulnerable benefit from adaptation should be a guiding principle. </li>
<li> Action must prioritise those who face the greatest harm and those least able to cope with climate impacts. </li>
<li> Finally, failure to prepare for climate impacts heightens risks and threatens efforts to reach net zero. Without due regard to climate adaptation, risk is “baked-in” to the lifetime of assets, projects become less viable, and the benefits reduce over time. It’s a choice between building in climate resilience or locking in climate vulnerability.</li>
</ol>
Jonathon Porritt CBE  
An eminent writer and campaigner on sustainable development and President of Population Matters.  
<ol>
<li> For wind, solar and storage to accelerate at the speed that is now so desperately needed, we need, first, to kill oil. And then to kill gas. This terminology will offend some people. “Oil Kills” is the latest slogan from Just Stop Oil, and many disagree with JSO’s combative, uncompromising tactics. But the time for cohabitation is long gone. Our continuing addiction to oil (as President George Bush put it back in 2006!) is already literally killing tens of thousands of people now – and will kill tens of millions in the future. </li>
<li> That’s why people need to hear the whole truth about climate science – we don’t have time for mealy-mouthed niceties any longer. It’s already too late to avoid horrendous costs as we pump more and more CO2 into the atmosphere. But it’s not too late to avoid total breakdown. </li>
<li> Even as we bring an end to the big oil and gas companies, we must protect the economic well-being of all those who work for them – apart from their senior executives, who’ve already benefited enough to last them several lifetimes! We must therefore be prepared to invest in re-skilling these key workers to play their part in the new energy economy emerging so dynamically in our midst.</li>
</ol>

dun-sunset-credit-scott-maclean

dun sunset - credit scott maclean

We ask influential climate campaigners for their thoughts on one of the industry’s most pressing issues.     

What three changes do we need to make to achieve a just energy transition by 2030?

Many of these community spaces act as warm refuges for local people to connect and access support services but they are often cold and expensive to heat. Thrive’s funding will help keep these spaces warm, whilst reducing their carbon footprint and energy bills.

As part of the application process, applicants were asked to complete a full energy survey of the shared building using guidance provided by CSE to identify potential improvements and calculate carbon and cost savings.  
Nine community centres across the UK have been awarded funding: 
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Trinity Arts Centre near Avonmouth wind farm, Bristol </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">58th Fife (Glenrothes) Scout Group near Dunfermline wind project, Fife </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Grange Methodist Church near Caton Moor wind farm, Lancashire </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">St Werburghs City Farm near Avonmouth wind farm, Bristol </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Dunfermline St Columba&#8217;s Church of Scotland near Dunfermline wind project, Fife  </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Tivetshall Village Hall near Eye wind turbine, Norfolk </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">Seething and Mundham Village Hall near Ness Point wind turbine, Norfolk </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1">Satterwaite Parish Room near Haverigg wind turbine, Cumbria </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1">Radio City Association near Kilbirnie wind turbine, Ayrshire </li>
</ul>
The grants will enable these community organisations to make crucial energy efficiency improvements to their buildings ahead of winter, such as roof, window and wall insulation, double glazing and LED lighting.  
Since we first started the programme in 2016, we have awarded 70 grants to 58 buildings, totalling over £225,000 nationally. As of 2024, the energy efficiency improvements funded by Thrive are saving an estimated 94 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

20241108_154517

In round eight of our Community Benefit Programme, we’re helping nine community centres stay warm this winter.  

Thrive awards £33,000 in energy efficiency grants to community hubs across the UK

According to the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, a “just transition seeks to centre the interests of those that are most affected by the low-carbon transition, including workers, vulnerable communities, suppliers of goods and services, specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and consumers.”  
We truly believe in the need for climate action to be fair and inclusive and have been balancing the needs of people with those of the planet for 30 years. Here are just some of the ways Thrive is working to ensure we achieve a just energy transition in the UK. 
Helping ordinary people to take a stake in the transition 
We believe in the power of together. A world where everyone can be part of the clean energy generation. Putting money to work building new sustainable energy projects, we empower people to take action to address the climate emergency. To help us directly fund and build new clean energy projects, we raise the majority of our capital through crowdfunding – making the UK energy transition more accessible by allowing large numbers of people to be part of the solution.  
Facilitating community ownership 
Recognising the appetite of local communities to build and own their own renewable projects, we created our award-winning community energy funding bridge in 2017 to provide funding certainty and expertise. The first project we facilitated was at Mean Moor in Cumbria, enabling the local community group to purchase the 6.9 MW wind farm, which was repaid in 2019. It meant that Mean Moor became the first commercial scale wind farm in the country to transfer to 100% community ownership.  
Since then, we’ve invested over £21 million into six community-led wind and solar projects including England’s largest onshore wind project based in our home city of Bristol. The Ambition Community Energy turbine provides a deprived community with a source of revenue, while preparing local people to take their place in the changing green economy through community-based advice, support and upskilling. 
Supporting businesses to decarbonise  
We help businesses to decarbonise by funding direct wire renewable projects e.g. installing a wind turbine or solar array on their commercial premises. Providing them with a direct supply of clean power, we empower businesses to take their place in the UK’s energy transition, while cutting costs and reducing the carbon consumption of their operations.  
We first invested in direct wire back in 2010, building projects including a 5MW wind farm on the Airfield Industrial Estate in Mid-Suffolk, which to this day provides clean electricity to a big local employer. As well as helping the company to better manage its energy costs, the project also makes an annual contribution to Mid-Suffolk District Council which is then distributed to worthwhile community initiatives. Fast forward 14 years and we’ve invested in three direct wire wind projects, as well as a portfolio of solar rooftops for schools and businesses across the UK. 
Working collaboratively as a force for good 
We believe in looking beyond profit, putting as much emphasis on environmental and social impact as we do on financial. We are a multi award-winning certified B Corp and member of Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership, Better Business Act and the SME Climate Hub, collaborating to improve business ethics and accountability.  
We recognise that as human beings we will not always get it right, but we are transparent about the challenges we face, actions we take and how decisions are made. We will continue learning, improving and working together with like-minded businesses and organisations to serve our communities and bring about positive change.

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As we celebrate 30 years generating clean energy, we share how we’re helping to accelerate a just transition so that no one is left behind in the move to a green economy.   

Vision for the future: Facilitating a just transition

Prioritising people and planet, we’ve invested in wind, solar and hydro, plus breakthrough projects like the UK’s first geothermal power plant and commercial scale tidal generation. We’ve empowered communities to take control of their energy and helped fund England’s largest onshore wind turbine that’s 100% community owned. Plus, helped businesses across the UK to decarbonise through on-site wind and solar. In total, the portfolio has generated over 2 million MWh of clean electricity and avoided the emission of more than 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Having been founded as one of the UK’s first mission driven businesses in 1994, 30 years later we’re proud to be in the top 3% of all UK B Corps for our ongoing commitment to environmental and social justice.
Thank you to everyone who’s worked with us to tackle the climate emergency together. We look forward to the next 30 years, collaborating with partners, friends and individuals to create a cleaner, fairer world for future generations.

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Since building some of the UK’s first wind turbines in the 90s, we’ve helped get a range of wind, solar and hydro projects off the ground, working together to build a cleaner, fairer world for generations to come. 

It’s our birthday! 30 years Thriving

Before heading to site, local people could meet the Thrive team and get to know the 30-year history of the project at the nearby Victoria Institute, where there were lots of family activities including face painting, crafts and more.
The day before, we visited local schools in Caton to deliver an interactive learning session all about renewable energy, before heading onto site for the children to see the wind turbines in person &#8211; bringing what they had just learnt to life.

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who came to our open day and all the local organisations involved in making the day a success, with special thanks to the Victoria Institute and Caton WI for their involvement. Below are just some of the brilliant moments captured from the event.

Member of Thrive team showing visitors round the Caton Moor site

Local residents at The Victoria Institute

Member of Thrive team engaging local child in wind-themed arts and crafts

Two visitors with Caton Moor wind turbines in the background

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We invited local school children and residents to see up close how a wind farm helps power our everyday lives. 

Bringing wind power to life at Caton Moor open day

Half year operating profits including investments were £7.4 million on a turnover of £14.6 million, with shareholders receiving a final dividend of 12p per share for 2023, which was paid in July this year. Please note, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
The increase in turnover is the result of raised electricity prices and the addition of the Feeder Road battery to our portfolio, which has now been operational since December 2023.

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Funding our growth ambitions
We were pleased to announce a new joint venture with TopCashback Sustainability Ltd that will unlock up to £40 million in additional capital. Deployed collaboratively alongside Thrive’s own capital over four years, this partnership will help us contribute to the next phase of the UK’s transition and supports our own ambitious growth strategy. We are  finalising debt arrangements which will inject a further £17 million of funding into the business and, to help us with our goal of doubling our generation capacity within the next five years, we’re also looking to raise capital in early 2025.
The Thrive PLC bond was repaid in March as planned after the conclusion of its seven-year term. The bond offer, which was the first to be available as an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA), helped fund new projects including a milestone community wind project in Cumbria in 2017.
New diverse projects
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We continue to deploy capital into projects that are consistent with our long-term growth strategy, focusing on further diversifying the pipeline so that we can grow our impact and resilience.
So far this year, we have secured a 25-year life extension of our 1MW Beochlich hydro project in the Scottish Highlands and had planning consent granted for an extension of our Drumduff wind farm, which we co-own with local partner GreenPower. The extension will add three turbines with an expected generation capacity of 12-15MW, bringing the overall Drumduff wind farm to six turbines and potentially tripling the combined onsite generation capacity.
We made a £1 million investment in two community owned wind turbines in Gloucestershire and are providing Eden Sustainable with up to £75 million in funding to accelerate the roll out of private wire solar PPA projects for schools, businesses, and other organisations across the UK.
Good progress has been made with construction of the ATTIX CIC wind turbine in Kilbirnie, as well as two ground mount solar projects as part of our partnership with Ethical Power. With generation expected to start in early 2025, significant progress has also been made at the UK’s first deep geothermal production plant in Cornwall, with the turbine that will convert geothermal heat into renewable electricity now successfully installed.
Supporting communities 
The final projects from round seven of our voluntary Community Benefit Programme, which provides energy efficiency grants to important shared buildings close to our sites, have now been completed. Nominations for round eight have just closed, with £30,000 in grants to be allocated for local energy saving initiatives across the UK.
We’ve also supported a number of community focused initiatives, including the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)’s Green Match Fund, which aims to provide more communities with the tools and resources they need to create sustainable, resilient places to live – from improving the energy efficiency of houses and community buildings to preserving natural spaces and setting up social enterprises for community energy. Thrive pledged £5,000 match funding to the appeal, with the final total standing at over £16,000.
It has been great to meet more of our communities in the first half of the year, recently arranging for a local nursery school to visit our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol. The event gave them an opportunity to learn about renewable energy, as well as take part in some themed arts and crafts and nature spotting.
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New funding secured and good progress on wind, solar and hydro assets

Half year results 2024: 10% increase in generation and strong operating profits

Abergorki was one of 21 onshore wind projects to secure a Contract for Difference in Auction Round 6 (AR6) of the UK Government’s main mechanism for providing price stability to low carbon electricity generation.  
The site lies on Mynydd Maerdy, above the Rhondda Valleys, and is located within an area of significant wind farm development with both operational and consented wind farms in close proximity.

The Abergorki wind project was originally owned by developer, REG Power Management (RPM), and was granted planning permission by the local council in July 2015.

*Based on an annual generation of 40GWh and calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) showing that UK average domestic household consumption is 3,239kWh per annum <a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained">https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained</a>

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