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The new initiative, Community Energy Catalyst, will support local communities to build their own clean energy infrastructure or secure stakes in larger regional renewable energy schemes. Fair Play Clean Energy, Thrive’s existing joint venture with Top Cashback Sustainability Ltd, will provide £20 million of the investment, with Better Society Capital providing matched funding.
Community Energy Catalyst will make investments ranging between £0.5 million to £30 million in individual projects which are at least 1MW in size and employ proven technologies such as onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and hydro-electric. The joint venture will target late-stage development projects that have already secured planning consent, enabling them to advance through to construction, commissioning and operation while aligning with local objectives.
As well as funding, Thrive brings 30 years of experience financing, building and operating clean energy projects in the UK, and will provide support to community energy groups during key milestones such as procurement and grid connection.
When we created our award-winning community funding bridge in 2017, it was the first of its kind. Eight years later we’ve invested over £21 million into seven community energy projects, including £4 million to build England’s largest onshore wind turbine, which is 100% owned by the community in our home city of Bristol.

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Funding partnership with Better Society Capital will help more communities to own their own projects or take a stake in a larger project in their local area.

We’re partnering with the UK’s leading social impact investor to mobilise £40 million for community-owned energy projects

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The nacelle and blades at the top of the tower will be refurbished and upgraded, with works due to start in late August 2024. This will allow the turbine to run reliably into the future, generating clean power for UK homes and businesses.

Works are expected to be completed by the end of October. As part of the refurbishment, Thrive Renewables has applied for planning permission to update the logos displayed at the top of the tower. The refurbishment will go ahead whether or not the new logos are permitted. The Ness Point wind turbine has a 2.75MW capacity, enough to power over 2,200 average UK homes per year.  
Thrive Renewables runs a voluntary Community Benefit Programme with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, providing grants of up to £4,500 for energy efficiency improvements in community centres, village halls and other shared spaces, making them warmer and cheaper to run. Since the scheme started, three community buildings in the area have benefitted – Wrentham Village Hall, Community Action Suffolk’s Kirkley Centre and North East Suffolk CAB. 
Round eight of the scheme is now open to applications and community buildings in Lowestoft and the surrounding area are encouraged to apply. More information can be found <a href="/news/2024/07/helping-communities-cut-carbon-and-costs-thrive-launches-round-eight-of-community-benefit-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here. </a>

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Work is due to start late summer to refurbish and upgrade the nacelle and turbine blades. 

Thrive Renewables announces major overhaul at Ness Point wind turbine

Local residents have been offered a stake in the project through shared ownership with Bristol Energy Cooperative. Thrive is the first commercial owner in the UK to offer shared ownership in a standalone battery project.
The visit kicked off with a short explanation of how battery storage projects work to support our everyday electricity needs – storing electricity when generation is abundant and exporting it back to the grid at times of peak usage.
Next, it was straight onto the treasure trail, where the children were given a range of items to find in the nature area on site, like bird boxes, insect boxes and flowers. It was great to see the children spotting a whole range of other different plants and insects too, from caterpillars and birds to bees and butterflies.
Thrive has introduced a number of biodiversity measures to protect and enhance nature on site. This includes installing bird, bat and invertebrate boxes, as well as planting trees, hedgerows, species rich grassland, shade scrub and native ferns to strengthen local habitat corridors and provide wildlife with food, nectar and pollen.
Alongside the treasure hunt, there was a nature themed craft activity where the pupils worked together to decorate a large cardboard butterfly with colourful tissue paper. The butterfly canvas was repurposed from an old Thrive exhibition stand.

Thank you to St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School for a brilliant visit &#8211; we hope you all enjoyed your time on site.

Pupils from St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School explored the nature area on site and got creative with a butterfly craft activity.  

Batteries and butterflies – local nursery school visit Feeder Road battery project

Olivia Eijking and Robin Redfern both bring to the team extensive experience of leading and innovating developments in the energy industry. Their expertise will help grow our impact as we aim to double generation capacity in the next five years.
Olivia has nearly 30 years of experience in the energy markets, working across trading, investment management, private equity and project development. She has held a number of leadership positions, including partner &amp; COO for Global Advisors, one of the first energy &amp; metals focused hedge funds, CFO for Massena Capital Partners Private Equity during its substantial expansion, and co-founder &amp; co-managing director of Ferrostaal Capital, the renewable energy venture of the German industrial services group.
As an entrepreneur, Olivia launched Kreen &amp; WeBridge, the wind, solar and storage focused renewable energy consultancy and green tech platform that advises manufacturers, project developers and sponsors in the financing and development of renewables projects. Over the course of her career, Olivia has been directly involved in 5.5 GW’s worth of renewable energy projects as well as the oversight of over EUR 1.2 b in energy asset investments in Europe.

Robin is a mechanical engineer and has worked across a wide range of renewable energy technologies since 2009. Alongside his role at Thrive, Robin is a partner in Everoze, a leading technical consultancy in onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, battery storage and wider energy flexibility. Robin is also currently representing Everoze on the board of Skyray, a company set up to provide engineering services to solar PV and storage. Throughout his career, Robin has always sought to span the gap between practical engineering realities and desk-based theory and market forces, regularly visiting and inspecting projects whilst also providing due diligence and other advice to investors and lenders at a bigger picture level.

Robin and Olivia’s leadership and passion will complement the existing Board of three Executive Directors and five Non-Executive Directors. Colin Morgan has stepped down as Non-Executive Director, having made an invaluable contribution to Thrive over the past decade since joining the Board in 2013.

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Untitled design - 2024-07-25T094655.574

Their impressive experience and insights in finance and renewables will help to support our ambitious growth plans. 

Thrive appoints Olivia Eijking and Robin Redfern as Non-Executive Directors

Community spaces provide a friendly meeting place for local people but are often cold, draughty and expensive to heat. It’s important to help the volunteers who manage these social hubs take practical measures to improve energy efficiency, so that they can reduce costs and keep them warm throughout the winter.  
Community buildings located within a 20 mile radius of one of Thrive’s clean energy projects can apply for grants of up to £4,500 to make energy efficiency improvements. Applicants will be asked to complete a full energy survey of the shared building using guidance supplied by CSE. This will help to identify potential improvements, including zero-cost measures, and calculate carbon and cost savings for different options. Applications will remain open until 24th September 2024. <a href="https://www.cse.org.uk/my-community/community-projects/thrive-renewables-community-benefit-programme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full details on how to apply</a> can be found on CSE’s website.

Now in the eighth round of funding, the programme has awarded 61 grants to 53 community buildings, totalling over £190,000. These improvements save over 85 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.  
In 2023, grants were awarded to ten community buildings across the UK, including Debenham Shed located near Eye Wind Farm in Suffolk. Debenham Shed aims to improve mental health for retired men and women who may otherwise struggle with loneliness or isolation, by providing workshop facilities with tools and materials for people to connect, converse and create. They used the grant to improve heating and insulation to continue running their workshop comfortably throughout the winter.
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Community buildings neighbouring our clean energy projects can apply for grants of up to £4,500 to make energy efficiency improvements. 

Helping communities cut carbon and costs – Thrive launches round eight of Community Benefit Programme

All resolutions were passed with a significant majority, and it was inspiring to have <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/profile/nick-robins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Professor Nick Robins</a> from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment join us for a fireside chat on navigating a just energy transition.

After the meeting, we invited shareholders to visit the community owned ACE wind project. We are extremely proud to have invested £4 million to fund the construction of this turbine &#8211; England&#8217;s largest. It was particularly special to visit the site just ahead of <a href="https://www.communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fortnight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Community Energy Fortnight</a> which celebrates the importance of community-led energy projects just like this. Thrive are proud to be sponsoring the two week campaign run by Community Energy England for the fourth year running.
On site, Mark Pepper, Development Manager at Ambition Lawrence Weston, the charity that formed ACE, shared the inspiring story behind the project, which is owned by the local community. Profits generated from the turbine will be reinvested back into the local area at Lawrence Weston, Bristol, acting as a driver for regeneration. ACE also plan to build an Energy Learning Zone to inspire young people and provide training to upskill residents for zero carbon careers.

It was also great to have Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, join us for the visit.

Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, speaking to shareholders at ACE wind turbine 

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Following our Annual General Meeting (AGM), shareholders visited the Ambition Community Energy (ACE) wind turbine in the countdown to Community Energy Fortnight. 

‘Just transition’ brought to life at AGM with a visit to England’s largest community owned onshore wind turbine

Last year Thrive provided community energy group, ATTIX CIC, with a loan of £4 million to enable them to press on with construction. We recently headed up to Scotland to spend time on site with Allan and Scott Wilson from Radio City Association, who founded Attix CIC as part of their mission to develop community owned renewable energy assets and other community initiatives in the Garnock Valley.
The community have already overcome multiple challenges, so it was rewarding to see their efforts coming to fruition as construction progresses. During our visit, we got to see some of the project infrastructure already in place, including the completed access track – ready for the turbine to be installed in the Autumn.

Once operational, the turbine will have the capacity to generate 7,839 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering 2,234 average UK homes, and will also deliver 3,324 tonnes of carbon emissions reductions annually. Profits from electricity sales will be reinvested back into the local area, which could include local sports and recreational facilities, as well as supporting the refurbishment of the Knox Institute building – a one-time important community hub. One of their recent initiatives which we were also able to see was a cycle path to connect the area better with the rail station. In the future the profits from the wind turbine will be able to fund similar initiatives.
Thrive’s funding is complemented by a £1.6 million investment from responsible finance provider, Social Investment Scotland, as part of a blended finance package, while Local Energy Scotland supported the project through planning and design with funding via the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).
This project is a great example for other community groups in Scotland and we were proud to see it featured in presentations and discussions at this year’s All Energy conference, one of the UK’s largest annual gatherings of professionals in the renewables space.
Construction of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
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Kil 24

Construction of the 2.5MW project near North Ayrshire is well underway and expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Behind the scenes at Scotland’s first subsidy free, 100% community-owned onshore wind turbine

Last year our wind, solar and hydro projects generated 136,316 MWh of renewable electricity [1]. That’s enough to power over 42,000 average UK homes, equivalent to a town the size of Preston [2]. Our portfolio of clean energy projects also delivered emissions reductions equivalent to 58,620 tCO2e[3].

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Thrive Impact 2023 

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Thrive_Impact 2023_landscape_AW

We were pleased to be able to invest in more community energy projects in 2023. This includes investing £4 million in a community-owned wind project in Kilbirnie, Scotland, bringing the total we have committed to community energy projects to date to £20 million. Thrive also became the first commercial battery owner to offer shared ownership to a local community group at the Feeder Road project in Bristol, which entered operation in December 2023.
The social, environmental and financial impact Thrive delivers is recognised in our B Corp status. Early in 2024 we recertified, achieving a new impact score of 131.1 – placing us in the top 3% of all UK B Corps.
As we approach our thirtieth year of building and funding clean energy projects, we are committed to doubling the amount of new generation we invest in over the next five years. Last year we made our single largest investment to date &#8211; providing a £20 million loan to Ethical Power to fund part of its solar and battery storage pipeline, with 178 MW currently in development.
As well as building new clean energy capacity, we are continuing to connect more people to renewables, welcoming over 480 new investors via our crowdfund which launched in October 2023 and completed in January 2024. It is thanks to our investors old and new that we are able to help build an energy system fit for future generations.

Another key highlight from 2023 was awarding a record £37,000 in energy efficiency grants to community buildings across the UK through our Community Benefit Programme. The annual programme, run in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE,) helps community hubs near our projects reduce their carbon footprints and manage energy costs. For the first time since starting the programme in 2016, we also provided ‘energy essentials’ training to applicants, delivered by CSE, on topics such as fuel poverty awareness.

The fully audited Annual Report and Financial Statements can be downloaded <a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Thrive_Annual-report_2023_Final-web-version.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
*  Please remember that past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future returns.  
[1] Impact Portfolio describing Thrive’s share of projects owned plus the projects Thrive is funding. 
[2] Calculated using the most recent statistics from the DESNZ showing that UK average domestic household consumption is 3,239 kWh per annum (<a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained</a>) 
Average residents per household  2.4 (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2020</a>), Population of Preston is 99,198 (<a href="https://www.thegeographist.com/uk-cities-population-1000/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thegeographist.com/uk-cities-population-1000/</a>). 
[3] RenewableUK uses DESNZ’s “all non-renewable fuels” emissions statistic of 424 tonnes of carbon dioxide per GWh of electricity supplied in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (July 2023) Table 5.14 (“Estimated carbon dioxide emissions from electricity supplied”. Carbon reduction is calculated by multiplying the total amount of renewable electricity generated by Thrive’s impact portfolio per year by the number of tonnes of carbon which fossil fuels would have produced to generate the same amount of electricity.

136,316 MWh of renewable electricity generated over the course of the year. 

Thrive announces £13.6 million operating profit for 2023 with £12.3 million of capital allocated to build new clean energy projects

Vision: We believe in the power of together. A world where everyone can be part of the clean energy generation.   
Mission: Putting money to work building new sustainable energy projects and empowering people to take action to address the climate emergency.  
Today we unite a community of over 6,000. And together we have grown our impact by building or funding the construction of 39 renewable energy projects.  
We are aiming to double our renewable energy generation capacity over the next five years; bringing together more individuals, developers and communities to build new renewable energy projects, faster.  
As we update our look, we stay true to the values that we have been cultivating since building our first wind turbine. 
<h3>Sustainable at the heart  </h3>
We’re totally committed to a clean energy future that benefits everyone. That’s why we have been investing in sustainable power in the UK for over 30 years. Thrive people are outcome driven, commercially innovative and passionate about making a positive impact in all we do. We only invest in clean energy projects that deliver long term, measurable environmental impacts.  
<h3>Rewarding connection </h3>
Thrive exists to enable people to change the future of energy for the better. We believe that bringing together people, proven technologies and a pioneering approach will accelerate the transformation our world needs. We share knowledge, insights and opportunities generating outcomes that are good for everyone. 
<h3>Together we can be a movement for change. </h3>
We are inspired by being part of a movement that delivers tangible change. A movement that sees the true value of making a positive environmental and social impact. Our eyes are fixed on a better future; let’s make the switch from fossil to sustainable, generating clean energy today, for generations to come.

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twitter, linkedin, facebook launch post

Let’s act together to address the climate emergency. 

New look and feel reaffirms our commitment to a collective movement for change

The extension will add three turbines with an expected generation capacity of 12-15MW, bringing the overall Drumduff Wind Farm to 6 turbines and the combined onsite generation capacity to over 21MW.
Located primarily in a commercial Sitka Spruce forest, the project plan includes substantial ‘forest to bog’ restoration of peatland bringing substantial ecological and biodiversity gains. The project will also be providing £5,000 per MW of installed generation capacity to the local community.

Drumdduff is located next to Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve, an area of peatland, home to a rich and diverse ecosystem that’s crucial for tackling biodiversity loss. We’ve worked with NatureScot to extend the boardwalk at the nature reserve so that local residents can enjoy this area of natural beauty.

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DC01

The extension will boost the overall capacity of the Scottish wind project to over 21MW.

Planning consent for Drumduff wind farm extension will triple its generation capacity

An on-site or ‘direct wire’ project is when a renewable asset like a rooftop solar array is built on a commercial premises, with the host business benefitting from a direct supply of clean electricity. With no upfront capital investment required, the business will purchase the energy directly from Eden through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Such arrangements help to protect the host business against high energy prices at the same time as supporting the UK’s net zero goals.  
​​The first round of investment will be into 15 schools, including​ ​phase 1 of the ​Oasis Community Learning ​portfolio,​​ ​which ​will save​ an estimated 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and £3 million in total.

Commercial buildings are currently responsible for almost a quarter (23%) of built environment carbon emissions in the UK [1], however​,​ rooftop solar projects can help businesses to decarbonise by giving them access to a direct supply of cheaper, cleaner electricity.  
This holds significant potential for supporting the UK’s net zero goals, with a 2023 report by the countryside charity, CPRE, suggesting that installing solar panels on existing rooftops and other land could deliver at least 40-50GW in England alone – going a long way to meet the ​solar industry’s ​target of delivering 70GW of new solar energy by 2035.

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Scott Burrows (Eden) Monika Paplaczyk (Thrive)

We’re working together to install rooftop and ground mount solar on schools and businesses across the UK.

Thrive partners with Eden Sustainable on solar accelerator deal facility aiming to fund up to 75MW of new 'direct wire' solar projects

The new score reflects our growing environmental and social impact as we continue bringing together people, companies and communities to accelerate change. 
Core areas of the business that we’ve increased our impact in include environmental reporting and supply chain due diligence. We also significantly increased energy efficiency in our office, for example overhauling the lighting to an intelligent system of LEDs that are using over 60% less energy.
Thrive has been taking action to tackle climate change for almost 30 years. During that time we’ve built or funded 39 clean energy projects, generating over 2.2TWh of clean electricity. That’s <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/thrive-renewables-plc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enough to meet the demand of 1.3 million UK residents, saving over 1 million tonnes of CO2e emissions</a><a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/thrive-renewables-plc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">.</a> 
In 2023 our portfolio of renewable energy projects generated 136,316MWh of clean electricity, enough to power all the homes in a town the size of Preston and delivered emissions reductions equivalent to 58,620 tCO2e. Recognising that there’s always more that we can do to reduce our carbon intensity we have committed to <a href="/our-impact/business-ethics/net-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reaching net zero by 2030</a> as part of the SME Climate Hub.

[1] Based on our analysis of a publicly available dataset from B Lab, up to date as of April 2024: <a href="https://data.world/blab/b-corp-impact-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://data.world/blab/b-corp-impact-data</a><a href="https://data.world/blab/b-corp-impact-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>

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Bristol & Bath B Corps B

Twenty point increase in impact score.

Thrive in top 3% of UK B Corps following recertification

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)’s Green Match Fund appeal aims to provide more communities with the bespoke tools and resources that 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.  
As long-standing supporters of CSE’s work helping communities to take local climate action, we are proud to support their Green Match Fund this April. Between 18th-25th, Thrive will be doubling donations made to CSE until the match pot runs out. This means your donation could make twice the difference.
<h4><a href="https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002S0j8wAAB?utm_source=thrive&amp;utm_medium=comms&amp;utm_campaign=gmf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to donate</a></h4>

Providing Green Match Funding to CSE is part of our wider commitment to the charity. They also  deliver our Community Benefit Programme which improves energy efficiency for community buildings near our sites, making them warmer, cosier and cheaper to run. By working together on the Green Match Fund we can help even more communities reduce carbon emissions and use energy more sustainably.

Make double the difference to community climate action 

Green Match Fund 2024

We’re helping them make double the difference to community climate action.

Centre for Sustainable Energy's Big Give Green Match Fund

It’s less “drill, baby, drill” and more mill, baby, mill! In fact, it’s got us thinking about how getting to net zero is not only about delivering new projects but making the most of those that already exist.
<h3>What is repowering?</h3>
Repowering is when an existing project – like an onshore wind turbine – is upgraded to make it more efficient and productive. It normally takes place once the turbine or wind farm has reached the end of its original design life (usually after 25-30 years) and, because of innovations in technology, often sees multiple smaller turbines replaced with fewer, larger – but more modern and powerful – machines.
This normally increases the site capacity, for example when Caton Moor wind farm was repowered back in 2006, we were able to increase the annual power yield seven-fold. Importantly, it also means that asset owners can streamline the process that comes with developing a new project as the existing site has already been proven to be suitable for wind, will continue to be used for the same activity and has been granted planning permission previously.
<h3>What are the benefits of repowering? </h3>
1. Makes the most of our available onshore wind and land resources and reduces waste
One of the first things we saw the new Government introduce last summer was updated targets for renewable energy development in the UK, including a goal of 30GW of onshore wind by 2030. While it’s important to recognise that yes, we do need to add new capacity – including onshore wind – to the grid, we can’t forget that there are a finite number of sites that will be suitable for these technologies. It makes exercises like repowering a vital part of the journey as the land has already been allocated and in a prime location that makes the most of the country’s abundant natural resources.
It&#8217;s also worth noting that repowering can be done in a conscious way to reduce waste as parts can be recycled or reused – like with Caton Moor, the turbines which were removed from the site were re-erected in Poland within weeks of their removal.
2. Continued access to clean, homegrown power 
Onshore wind is currently one of the cleanest, cheapest and quickest ways to generate electricity and is vital to improving our energy security – making sure the country is less exposed to the price volatility that comes with using fossil fuels. However, in its 2024 manifesto, RenewableUK estimated that by 2040 we are in danger of losing almost 9GW of onshore wind (compared to the current total capacity of 15GW) as it reaches the end of its life. By repowering these sites, we won’t lose important generating capacity at a critical time for both the UK and planet, helping to accelerate the transition at the pace and scale required for net zero.
3. Community benefit 
We know that the majority of communities are supportive of onshore wind. In fact, according to the government’s latest polling, 7 in 10 (78%) are supportive of the technology and recognise its role in lowering bills, improving energy security and tackling climate change.
Repowering gives host communities the opportunity to continue benefitting from onshore wind, whether it be through the creation of local green jobs or support for local initiatives via community benefit funds. For example, Thrive’s voluntary Community Benefit Programme makes energy efficiency grants available to community buildings close to our sites. Since 2016, we’ve awarded 70 grants totalling over £225,000, helping to make important local spaces warmer and cheaper to run.
<h3>What are the barriers we need to overcome?</h3>
It was positive to see that the Government will include UK repowering projects in the next round of its annual Contracts for Difference scheme, creating the opportunity for onshore wind farms to utilise finance when funding repowering.  Access to the CfD should accelerate the repowering process, making the investment decision to seamlessly progress from the maturing site to the repowered opportunity more straight forward.
But we still need to see continued support and even a clear planning presumption or incentive in favour of repowering – not just for onshore wind but other renewable technologies too. This will then help engage local authorities around what we do with aging infrastructure and empower them to deal with applications appropriately as part of their wider transition plans.
The other challenge is grid connection. Even if a project can be successfully repowered, due to the current grid constraints asset owners may not be able to access additional grid capacity that would allow them to increase the generation capability of the wind farm. It means that they’ll be capped at the original generating capacity whilst waiting for the queues for grid capacity to subside, meaning the UK may not be able to realise the full benefits of repowering until these issues have been solved.
Grid reform recently featured in the Government’s Clean Power Action Plan, citing that NESO and Ofgem will provide a framework through which NESO can work with Transmission Owners (TOs) and Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to prioritise the projects needed for 2030, as well as maintain a robust pipeline beyond 2030. As with other ongoing policy reform, we’ll be keeping an eye on how this unfolds and contribute to the appropriate public consultations what will hopefully help to accelerate our transition to a cleaner, fairer energy system in the UK.

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Chris Watt Photography_209

It’s not all about the new “stuff”, we also need to consider how to make the most of our aging projects if we’re to meet net zero. 

Mill, baby, mill – Repowering to net zero

✅  Commitment to speeding up grid connections for renewable projects that are ready to go
✅  Promises to build on existing approaches to community benefits within the onshore wind sector as part of a fair and inclusive energy transition.
✅  Streamlining the planning process for critical infrastructure and new projects

The changes in the Action Plan are broadly welcome, however the urgency of the situation must not be underestimated. Only recently, the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) described the UK’s 2030 clean power target as “ambitious but achievable” if renewables are expanding swiftly and significantly – doubling onshore wind and tripling solar.
Whilst the government’s clean power plan shows promising steps towards accelerating large-scale renewables, it is in danger of overlooking the importance of small to medium sized, local projects. These are the projects that put local communities at the heart of the energy transition. Smaller projects can fit better into the local landscape and generate electricity closer to where it is used, potentially reducing the number of pylons needed nationally.
We also need to make the most of the clean energy capacity that is already available to us by repowering existing projects i.e. replacing older wind turbines with fewer, more modern and efficient ones. For example, the 150m Ambition Community Energy wind turbine that was part funded by Thrive and built in 2023 can generate more than double the power of each single 125m wind turbine at our neighbouring Avonmouth wind farm built in 2014.
As we head into the new year let’s work together to keep the momentum up and push for urgent change at national, regional and local level to accelerate the rollout of the much-needed renewables revolution.

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We share our thoughts on the government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. 

Let’s not forget smaller, local projects in the “new era of clean electricity”

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.  
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[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>

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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.

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