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kessingland

Latest news

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

Featured

Beochlich consists of two Pelton 21X2.45 turbines, fed via a pipeline which creates the pressure to drive the turbines most efficiently. A storage reservoir is incorporated which allows the flow to be regulated to an optimum level when rainfall is high as well as store water during periods of lower rainfall. Water diverted from the Beochlich Burn is returned to the same water course downstream. 
The project generates roughly 4.5GWh of renewable electricity a year – enough to power 1,126 UK homes. As well as being a key renewable energy source, the hydro project helps to regulate the water flow at Beochlich which is positive for plant health and irrigation purposes.

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25 year life extension agreed for the 1MW project in Western Scotland.

Thrive's first hydro-electric project secures another 25 years of operation

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The refinancing loan along with a loan from Energy Prospects Co-operative will enable community benefit society, Resilient Energy Forest of Dean (REFD), to retain ownership of the project. Energy4All, who currently manage 33 renewable energy co-operatives, will support REFD as the commercial manager of the project.
As well as providing clean electricity to the grid, funding from revenues generated will continue to support local community projects in the Forest of Dean. So far, a wide range of local community buildings and schools have benefitted as a result.
The addition of this project to Thrive’s portfolio brings the total we have invested in community projects to £17 million. It is the 6th community funding bridge we have facilitated, plugging funding gaps to enable community energy groups to build and operate their own clean energy projects. This includes providing a £4 million to fund the construction of England’s largest onshore wind turbine in Bristol, which is owned by a community group.
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Working alongside Energy4All, Thrive’s investment will enable the project to remain in community hands.

£1 million investment into 1MW community-owned wind project in the West Country

We kicked off the insight day with a visit to our Avonmouth wind farm where the group were able to view the turbines up close and learn how they work. Adrian, our Head of Operations led the tour, explaining the processes and jobs involved in the operation of a 8.2MW wind project like this – from planning through to construction and maintenance.  There were some brilliant questions and discussions as the turbines worked hard in the background.  
Next it was back to the Thrive office, where Louise our Head of External Affairs delivered a short presentation on the renewable energy industry, Thrive’s impact and the diverse range of roles that exist within the sector.  
Over lunch, members of the Thrive team enjoyed chatting with the group to provide insight on their job roles and answer any questions about the day-to-day of working in renewables.  
For the final activity of the day, the group split into teams for a fun learning activity.  Each group was tasked with planning a new wind farm in metaphorical ‘Thriveshire’, taking into account various social, economic and environmental factors that go into the planning of clean energy projects. The teams presented their ideas to the wider group with some very impressive proposals and learnings from the day.

Having provided a grant last year to support one of Babbasa’s core services, it’s been fantastic to continue our partnership with an opportunity for some of their Young People to learn about careers in renewables. Thrive’s £1,000 grant will help Babbasa to continue offering its Support Programme that works with young people who are at risk or have dropped out of education or employment, who may be facing multiple barriers or challenges, or who are disadvantaged by their background.  
We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone from Babbasa who attended our insight day – we hope you found it inspiring!

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We hosted an insight day for Babbasa’s Young People to learn about opportunities in renewables.

Shining a light on green careers for under-represented young people

This funding will help us deliver on our busy pipeline, which includes a portfolio of new clean energy developments through a £20 million investment in Ethical Power. We also plan to fund more ‘direct wire’ solar projects, giving UK businesses access to a direct supply of clean electricity, and support community energy groups in building their own clean energy projects locally – like our recent <a href="/latest-news/news/4-million-investment-into-community-group-attix-cic/">£4 million investment in Scottish community energy group</a>, ATTIX CIC.
Other recent development projects include providing £4 million funding to construct England’s largest onshore wind turbine, which is wholly community-owned, and a 20 MW battery in our home city of Bristol, plus a total of £6 million investment in United Downs – the UK’s first deep geothermal electricity generation plant in Cornwall, which is also set to provide commercial quantities of lithium for EV batteries.
This successful crowdfund comes as new Thrive research – conducted by Opinium, found that retail investors could unlock over £214 billion worth of investments needed to fund UK net zero infrastructure ambitions. Read more about the research <a href="/latest-news/news/the-214bn-impact-investment-opportunity-retail-investors-could-unlock-crucial-net-zero-funding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

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Thrive Renewables

Thank you to everyone that is supporting Thrive’s mission to build a cleaner, fairer energy system here in the UK.

The future is green: £5.4 million raised to build new clean energy projects

Having provided the first commercial funding for the project in 2020 and a further £3 million investment in 2023, we’re pleased to see the start of this exciting final phase. Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) expect construction work to be completed by summer this year, with the first power to be produced towards the end of 2024.  
We were delighted to be on site to see the start of construction at United Downs alongside other investors.
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The United Downs plant will be harnessing heat from hot granite rocks via two deep wells which were drilled and tested in 2019 and 2020. From this site and other proposed sites in Cornwall, GEL are hoping to produce enough power and heat for 70,000 homes by 2028. 
Recent testing at United Downs has shown that geothermal fluid within the wells has one of the highest concentrations of lithium in Europe at 340 parts per million (ppm). This sustainably produced UK lithium has the potential to fulfil a significant portion of the UK’s lithium, helping to support the growing EV industry.   
Last year GEL were awarded three Contracts for Difference, the first ever for geothermal in the UK. These contracts guarantee a set price for the sale of renewable electricity at United Downs and their other two sites at Manhay and Penhallow.

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Cornwall Time Lapse--4

The United Downs site is expected to start producing renewable electricity by late 2024.

Construction begins on UK's first geothermal power plant

In September 2023, we also agreed to fund 192MW of new solar PV and battery storage through a £20 million investment in a UK development portfolio. The first projects are expected to be constructed this year.

We are particularly proud that this project involved a collaborative effort between commercial and third sector organisations; Thrive, Aura Power, Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC) and Residents Against Dirty Energy (RADE). Campaigning work by RADE and BEC originally prevented the site from becoming a polluting diesel STOR generator. Having successfully blocked planning permission for the dirty generator, they supported Aura Power’s proposal for a battery, a clean technology, storing excess electricity when it is abundant and ultimately enabling more renewables to be connected to the grid.  
In recognition of the community effort to support the project, we have been able to offer local residents the opportunity to own a stake in it through shared ownership with BEC. We are proud to be the first commercial owner to offer shared ownership in a standalone battery project in the UK.  
The project recently <a href="/latest-news/news/celebrating-our-collaborative-and-award-winning-funding-approach-at-the-community-energy-awards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won the Collaboration in Community Energy Award</a> with BEC, Aura and RADE at the 2023 Community Energy Awards. 
Our team has also developed a landscape plan for Feeder Road that will help to protect and enhance the biodiversity at the site. We’ve focused on providing the resident wildlife with more places to nest and shelter. This includes installing a number of bird, bat and invertebrate boxes, as well as planting trees, hedgerows, species rich grassland, shade scrub and native ferns that will strengthen local habitat corridors and provide wildlife with food, nectar and pollen.

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20MW Bristol battery now delivering electricity to the grid.

Award-winning battery project enters operation

But there’s no denying it – the energy transition is happening (although not as quickly as we would like), and renewables are here to stay. Below we share some of the reasons we’re keeping positive as we look forward to another year of prioritising people and planet, funding and building new projects that deliver cheaper, cleaner power, lower household bills and support the UK’s transition to a fairer, net zero energy system.  
<h3>Renewables produced enough electricity in 2023 to power every UK home </h3>
According to The Energy &amp; Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU)[1], the UK’s fleet of wind, solar and hydro projects generated enough clean electricity to power the country’s 28 million homes in 2023. The think tank has estimated that these assets produced over 90TWh of electricity, while power generation from gas-fired power plants fell by 20 to 30 per cent each quarter compared to four years ago. New data from Carbon Brief has also found that renewables provided the single largest source of power to the grid last year at a record 42%.  
<h3>World leaders agreed to triple renewables by 2030  </h3>
In one of the most widely supported pledges at the recent COP28 conference in Dubai, over 110 policymakers agreed to tripling the world’s renewable capacity by 2030. During the conference, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that “With these goals, we […] send a clear message to industries and investors. We are providing them with clarity and predictability about the future – the direction of travel. They will know how much additional capacity we need by 2030 and this will help them plan their business and investments”[2]. 
The move supports the International Renewable Energy Agency’s ‘World Energy Transitions Outlook’ which looks at how we close the energy transition gap to stay on a 1.5°C pathway. It calls for a tripling of installed renewables capacity from around 3,400 GW today to over 11,000 GW by 2030, adding on average an ambitious 1,000 GW annually until the end of this century. 
<h3>Batteries are booming </h3>
According to Modo Energy, Britain’s battery pipeline saw a significant increase in operational capacity (over 60%) in 2023, growing from 2.1GW at the close of 2022 to 3.4GW. Total energy capacity has reportedly grown even quicker, up to 4.5 GWh from 2.3 GWh in 2022 – meaning that the average duration of battery energy capacity in Britain is now 1.27 hours, up from 1.1 hours in 2022. 
Battery storage is a critical technology for net zero, storing electricity when renewable sources are abundant and releasing at peak times when consumer demand is at its highest. We’re pleased to share that our 20 MW battery project in Bristol is now operational, with the capacity to store and deliver 1.5 hours or 30 MWh of electricity. 
<h3>The UK&#8217;s first geothermal power plant will be constructed this year </h3>
Construction of a new geothermal power plant system at United Downs in Cornwall has begun, with the site expected to start producing baseload renewable electricity by late 2024. Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) awarded the supply contract to Exergy International last year, with the deal marking a major milestone in the project which Thrive provided the first commercial funding for in 2020, followed by a further £3 million investment in 2023. Once operational, GEL believes United Downs will save more than 6,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year compared to fossil fuel power generation, while also producing zero carbon heat that could be used to heat a nearby housing development.  
<h3>We aim to double the amount of clean energy capacity we fund over the next five years</h3>
Reflecting our commitment to tackling climate change, we revealed our ambitions to double our generation capacity to 180 MW over the next five years. 2024 will see us deliver on our growing pipeline, which includes funding 192 MW of solar and battery storage through our £20 million deal with Ethical Power, as well investing in other onshore wind, solar, geothermal and battery storage projects across the UK.  
As we look forward to another exciting year ahead, we’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported us in 2023. It’s because of you that Thrive can continue making an impact by building new renewable capacity, ensuring the benefits are felt by the people who need it most. 
[1] <a href="https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4159728/eciu-renewables-produced-electricity-2023-power-uk-home">ECIU: Renewables produced enough electricity in 2023 to power every UK home | BusinessGreen News</a>
[2] <a href="https://renews.biz/89878/global-leaders-agree-to-triple-renewables-capacity-by-2030/">COP28: Global leaders agree to triple renewables capacity by 2030 &#8211; reNews &#8211; Renewable Energy News</a>

While COP28 didn’t deliver on the phasing out of fossil fuels, here’s why we’re still going into the New Year feeling hopeful.

Record renewable generation and other reasons to go into 2024 feeling optimistic

This would form a significant part of the £330 billion needed in the next six years to deliver the energy infrastructure required for net zero [1]. But, concerns over greenwashing and a lack of available information on impact investments – financial investments which generate measurable, positive environmental impacts – are holding back this crucial investment. When surveyed on their actual plans, 18% of people say they will start or increase impact investments within the next year. 
<h3>‘Changevestors&#8217; want more investment options that combat climate change  </h3>
Our research identified a new group of younger investors, aged 18-34 named ‘changevestors’, as being the most focused on delivering environmental impact. This group has a larger proportion of their portfolio (33%) in impact investments, compared to other age groups (24%). Furthermore, a third (33%) of this group say they have plans to increase this in the next year.  This reflects their wider choices with more than two thirds (73%) saying they have made some or significant lifestyle changes. 
However, some changevestors are held back by a lack of information and suspicions of greenwashing. The FCA is currently looking to better regulate how sustainable investments are framed to investors: 44% say they do not trust firms which position themselves as environmentally friendly. 
<h3>Meeting the desire for change </h3>
Those who participated in our research reported a desire for change, with Changevestors leading calls for more sustainable investment options. Close to two thirds (63%) of 18-34 year-olds want to see more investment options that would help prevent climate change; over half (55%) were frustrated by a lack of mainstream options for more sustainable investing.  
<h3>Galvanising the eco-over 55&#8217;s  </h3>
In contrast, our research reported that over 55’s are the least likely to invest in impact focused investments, despite being the group most likely to have investments and prioritising longer-term returns and mitigating against financial risk. This also contrasts with their behaviour: they are highly likely to have made changes to their lifestyle to reduce their impact on the environment with 73% saying they have made at least some.

[1] Energy infrastructure investment needed, taken from <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6194dfa4d3bf7f0555071b1b/net-zero-strategy-beis.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">net-zero-strategy-beis.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a>  
[2] <a href="https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/21x/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green my pension &#8211; Make My Money Matter</a>

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Thrive research shows more than two thirds of investors would put money into opportunities that deliver environmental impact.

The £214 billion impact investment opportunity: Retail investors could unlock crucial net zero funding

Thrive is pleased to support Babbasa in their important work by providing a £1,000 grant that will help them to continue offering their Support Programme. One of their core services, the Support Programme works with young people who are at risk or have dropped out of education or employment, who may be facing multiple barriers or challenges, or who are disadvantaged by their background (e.g. Black and minority ethnic, disability, in care or care leavers).The programme supports young people to overcome the challenges they are facing in education or employment by providing intensive 1:1 support, targeted group activities, and aspirational or career-focused activities. It also helps young people to identify their aspirations and personal challenges, understand their rights and choices and develop the skills and confidence to pursue their ambitions.
In addition to the funding, we’re looking forward to providing opportunities for Babbasa’s young people to learn more about careers within the renewables sector. This includes plans for a site visit to one of our renewable energy projects.

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Babbasa group shot

We’re teaming up with Babbasa to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds overcome barriers to education or employment.

Supporting under-represented young people in Bristol

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According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), this 1.5°C target is critical if we’re to avoid the very worst impacts of climate change and was agreed by 196 parties at the COP21 conference in France in 2015, subsequently known as the ‘Paris Agreement’.
But under current policies, the government would only achieve just over half (54%) of the emissions cuts needed between now and 2030 to hit the target. This is made worse by the fact that the emissions gap – the difference between the target and projected emissions in 2030 – has <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/track-uk-breaking-its-2030-climate-promise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grown by more than half (55%) over the last year</a>, thanks to a scaling back on climate action – including the decision to hold annual oil &amp; gas licencing rounds.
And its not just the UK that is falling behind. A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) confirmed that urgent action is needed, with the world currently on track for 2.5 to 2.9°C of heating this century. With temperatures soaring and episodes of extreme weather becoming more and more frequent, the UN’s secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has said that the world is heading for a “hellish” future if we don’t act now.
<h3>What do we want to see as a result of COP28?</h3>
<h4>1. A commitment to fully phase out fossil fuels</h4>
In 2016, parties attending COP26 in Glasgow agreed to “accelerate the phasedown of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”. A year later at COP27, 80 countries called to have this language updated so that it included not only coal, but all fossil fuels. This was ultimately unsuccessful.
We’re now seeing this conversation continue to unfold, with countries allegedly considering calling for a formal phase-out of fossil fuels as part of the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/fossil-fuel-phase-out-put-table-cop28-climate-talks-2023-12-05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summit&#8217;s final deal to tackle global heating</a>. The topic is certainly causing debate, however, with four times the number of oil and gas producing countries attending COP28 compared to last year’s conference. It perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise that we’re also hearing some extremely worrying statements being made about fossil fuels and their impact on climate change. It has been reported that COP President, Sultan Al Jaber, stated that there is “no science” backing up the need to phase out fossil fuels and that doing so would not allow for sustainable development, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“unless you want to take the world back into caves”</a>. This comes as the latest <a href="https://productiongap.org/">Production Gap report</a> has revealed that governments, in aggregate, still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C.
Put simply, there is no net zero future that includes oil and gas. What we need from our government and other world leaders is a final and binding commitment to phase out all fossil fuels, as well as faster action to reduce emissions today. We will be keeping a close eye on the negotiations and hope to see this addressed as talks come to a close next week.
<h4>2. Investment incentives for clean technologies</h4>
Ahead of the conference, the United Arab Emirates’ COP28 presidency, International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewables Alliance issued a joint report claiming that renewable energy capacity needs to “reach more than 11,000 GW” by 2030. Following this, we’ve seen leaders from more than 110 countries commit to a collective effort to <a href="https://renews.biz/89878/global-leaders-agree-to-triple-renewables-capacity-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030</a>.
This will require a massive scaling up of public and private sector investment, which presents a huge opportunity &#8211; especially in contrast to the investment which continues to flow into finite fossil fuel reserves. Here in the UK, we need to see the government urgently address the investment landscape which has not only been impacted by inflation and interest rates, but by policy uncertainty and infrastructure issues like grid connection times, amongst other things.
We know that COP28 can be a huge platform for climate action, but we need the government to recognise this and be more ambitious so that we can reassert the UK’s leadership position when it comes to clean investment. In fact, <a href="https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/news/uk-falling-behind-in-race-for-clean-energy-investment/">analysis by Energy UK</a> has revealed that, without taking action to address these factors, the UK economy could lose out on £62 billion of investment between now and 2030. This would lead to a shortfall of 54 GW of potential wind and solar capacity, which represents enough generation to power every home in the UK.
<h4>3. Greater support for countries bearing the brunt of climate change</h4>
The sad truth about climate change is that it’s not a tomorrow problem, countries around the world are already facing the very real consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels, from droughts and wildfires to catastrophic flooding impacting every part of our lives, not least food production.
And a report published during COP28 has revealed that the amount of money needed for the energy transition, including climate adaptation and disaster relief, is monumental. According to the report, emerging markets and developing countries will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/climate-finance-takes-centre-stage-cop28-climate-talks-2023-12-04/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20cash%20needed,challenges%20posed%20by%20climate%20change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">need $2.4 trillion a year in investment to cap emissions</a> and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
We were pleased to see the UK taking a step in the right direction, announcing a £1.6 billion climate aid package on COP28’s ‘Finance Day’, which it says has been structured to help mobilise private investment into emerging economies as a means of tackling climate change. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-to-call-for-era-of-action-at-cop28-climate-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The package includes £500 million in funding</a> to tackle the causes of deforestation, £316 million for energy innovation projects around the world and up to £60 million for loss and damage.
While there are rightly questions of whether this is to distract from the scaling down of green policies at home in the UK, we agree that an ‘era of action’ is required. And it’s not just about investing in climate risk mitigation, we must keep sight of addressing the cause of climate change itself. This will cost far less and be far more efficient than having to defend ourselves against an ever increasing tide of catastrophic climate events.
As usual, COP28 has seen a number of pledges and commitments made but it will be interesting to see how these progress in the next 12 months. Instead of just talking, we’re committed to taking action: funding and building new clean energy projects that provide cleaner, cheaper power to homes across the country, while also contributing towards the UK’s net zero targets.
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Thrive renewables open day in Avonmouth. September 2022.

We urge our global leaders attending COP28 to benchmark the cost of action against the catastrophic price of inaction.

Not sure COP is much COP? It's time to start doing something about climate change

Its recent tests have shown that fluid within the deep geothermal wells at United Downs in Cornwall contained around 340 parts per million (ppm) of lithium &#8211; the highest concentration of lithium found in any commercial geothermal lithium project in Europe. Having provided the first commercial funding for United Downs in 2020 and further investment for the power plant construction in 2023, we’re thrilled to hear the project’s latest development which could see GEL fulfil a significant portion of the UK’s lithium demand.      
GEL was recently awarded £1.8m by the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) Scale up Readiness programme.  They aim to produce around 100 tonnes per annum (tpa) of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) in late 2024 which they say will be ramped up to at least 1,000 tpa from United Downs as early as 2026.  Planning permission has been secured for two other geothermal projects in Cornwall and GEL aims to rapidly expand production to over 12,000 tpa in the UK by 2030. They report this is enough to produce around 250,000 electric vehicle batteries for an average sized car [1], or 94% of the LCE needed to supply the <a class="js-scroll-done" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2022/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2022#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20new%20car%20registrations,267%2C000%20BEV%20cars%20(16%25)" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-anchor="#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20new%20car%20registrations,267%2C000%20BEV%20cars%20(16%25)">267,000</a> new Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) registered in the UK in 2022 [2]. 
Lithium can be sustainably extracted from geothermal fluid, avoiding the energy-intensive production processes currently used such as mining.

After providing the first commercial funding for the United Downs geothermal power plant in 2020, Thrive invested an additional £3 million in the project in 2023 to fund construction.  
[1] The average amount of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per car is 47.4kg.  Sources IEA, World Economic Forum, Reuters, Goldman Sachs. GEL production target is 12,000 tonnes of LCE per year. Therefore, number of cars per year is circa 250,000. 
[2] <a class="js-scroll-done" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2022/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2022#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20new%20car%20registrations,267%2C000%20BEV%20cars%20(16%25)" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-anchor="#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20new%20car%20registrations,267%2C000%20BEV%20cars%20(16%25)">According to the UK Government</a>, 267,000 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) were registered in 2022.

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UD geothermal 2 1400

High concentration of lithium found at United Downs geothermal project could support growing UK electric vehicle industry.

United Downs geothermal generation plant set to deliver UK's first commercial quantities of lithium for car batteries

This year the event was hosted at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester, and we were thrilled to be attending as a finalist in the Collaboration in Community Energy category alongside our friends Aura Power, Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC) and RADE (Residents Against Dirty Energy). 
The award recognised “the most commendable collaboration between a community energy organisation and its partners”, with entrants required to “demonstrate outstanding efforts in supporting and advancing community energy through partnerships, investments, policy advocacy, or various forms of assistance, which have increased community energy activity or impact”.  
We were nominated for our 20 MW Feeder Road battery project in Bristol, which we acquired from Aura in 2020. It was down to great campaigning work by RADE and BEC that stopped the site being home to a polluting diesel STOR generator, which neither contributes to the UK’s net zero journey nor benefits the local community, instead of a battery storage project which is a cleaner technology and enables more renewables to be connected to the grid. Currently in the latter stages of commissioning, we’ve now offered BEC an opportunity for shared ownership, giving local people the opportunity to take a stake.    
We’re particularly proud of the project’s backstory, which shows how business can work together with the local community to develop solutions that will have a positive impact; environmentally, socially and financially. It was great to also have this recognised by Community Energy England on the night, especially against some tough competition in BHESCo, Sustainable Hayfield and Community Energy Together. A big congratulations again to all the other winners and finalists – we look forward to celebrating another year of progress at the 2024 awards! 
<img decoding="async" src="/media/3086/untitled-design-2023-11-22t144523003.jpg" />

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CE awards collab winner 23 banner

Members of the Thrive team travelled to Manchester for the Community Energy Awards last week – and we were thrilled to take home the award for ‘Collaboration in Community Energy’ alongside Aura Power, Bristol Energy Cooperative and RADE.

Celebrating our collaborative (and award winning!) funding approach at the Community Energy Awards

<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>

Newsletter CTA

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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.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7985" src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="1500" srcset="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n.jpg 2000w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/323931932_2322365031303983_3452364143354907670_n-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
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.

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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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Chris Watt Photography_427

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.   

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