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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.  
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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.

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

Featured

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in our recent share offer. Because of you, we’ve been able to raise £6.8 million to deliver new renewable energy generation and storage projects across the UK.
The offer, which was promoted by Triodos Bank UK via its crowdfunding platform, has now closed after we reached our original £5 million target ahead of deadline. In September, we extended the offer so that more people had the opportunity to participate, with over 1,200 investments made in total.
Now we’re focusing on action and will be using the funding to fuel our next stage of growth, helping to expand our portfolio of clean electricity projects and creating value across the electricity system as we aim to decarbonise by 2035.
As well as funding new onshore wind and commercial solar projects, we intend to increase our battery storage and baseload capacity and the collaborative funding available for community energy groups to build their own renewable energy projects.

The success of the crowdfund follows new survey data – commissioned by Thrive and undertaken by Opinium – which revealed that retail investors are deeply concerned about the climate and energy crisis and want to take matters into their own hands by investing in renewables.
According to the survey, which gathered data from 1,000 UK retail investors alongside 2,000 people from the general population, seven in 10 investors (69%) think we should increase the amount the UK invests in renewable energy.
When it comes to motivation, 8 in 10 investors (81%) say they are concerned about the long-term implications of the energy crisis, with many (57%) wanting to use their investing power to help bring down energy costs for all. As a result, nearly six in 10 investors (57%) have recently, or plan to, increase their investments in renewables. This attitude is shared by the UK population, with two-thirds (66%) wanting investment in renewables to increase.

Investing in the shares of an unlisted company involves risk – including potential for loss of capital – as the value of shares may go down as well as up. The payment of dividends and the target return on equity are not guaranteed.
Thrive shares are transferable but are not listed on any investment exchange, they can be traded through monthly share auctions. It may be difficult to sell shares at a price investors wish to sell them for and the shares may take time to sell.
If you are unsure if any of these investments are right for you, you should contact an Independent Financial Adviser.

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thrive_renew_battery_Bristol_2022_JIM_J_IMG_2532

At a time when the shift to renewables is more urgent than ever, we’ll be using the money raised to build some of our pipeline of onshore wind, commercial rooftop solar and battery assets.

We've raised £6.8 million to fund new clean energy projects in the UK

Through our community benefit programme, we’re pleased to be able to support another ten shared buildings – located within 20 miles of one of our clean energy projects – with grants totalling over £30,000. With support from national energy charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy, up to £4,000 has been awarded to each of these community organisations so that they can make sustainability and energy efficiency improvements ahead of winter, including roof, window and wall insulation, double glazing and LED lighting.
With this latest round included, we have awarded 51 grants to 43 buildings since 2016, totalling over £150,000. These improvements save over 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
As part of round six, we have awarded grants to:
<ul>
<li>Eastside Community Trust – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Birsay Community Hall – near our Sigurd wind turbine in Orkney</li>
<li>Shutlanger Hall – near our Wicken battery project outside Milton Keynes</li>
<li>Bridgehouse Community Association – near our wind farm in Drumduff, Scotland</li>
<li>Hawkesbury Hospital Hall – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Colne Village Hall – near our Ransonmoor wind farm in March, Cambridgeshire</li>
<li>Wrentham Village Hall – near our Ness Point wind turbine in Ipswich</li>
<li>Helmdon Reading Room – near our Wicken battery project outside Milton Keynes</li>
<li>Knowle West Media Centre – near our Feeder Road battery project in Bristol</li>
<li>Strichen Playgroup – near our Clayfords and Auchtygills wind farms in Strichen, Aberdeenshire</li>
</ul>

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During challenging times, community buildings can offer a warm, safe place for people to come together and socialise. Thrive is offering grants to shared buildings close to our clean energy sites to improve energy efficiency and lower bills.

Helping community buildings become a warm hub this winter

Put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was brilliant to be able to meet lots of new and engaged faces to our four-turbine site in Avonmouth. Attendees had an opportunity to peep inside one of the 2MW operational turbines on site, as well as enjoy a range of other wind-related activities for the whole family including Explorer Dome’s climate change show, face painting and more. The Centre for Sustainable Energy were also on hand to provide advice on energy efficiency.
Coinciding with the start of Great Big Green Week – a national initiative led by the Climate Coalition to celebrate community action in fighting the climate crisis – we wanted to continue the conversation about climate change and how onshore wind projects are part of the solution. We were thrilled by the enthusiasm shown for the turbines and the number of insightful questions asked – with lots coming from well informed budding engineers of the future!
A massive thank you to everyone that joined us, from our excited guests to the exhibitors who helped make it such a valuable event for the community.
Below are just some of the brilliant moments captured from across the day.

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As part of Great Big Green Week, we invited the wider Bristol community to join us at our Avonmouth wind farm to learn more about onshore wind and its role in tackling the climate emergency.

Meeting budding engineers of the future at our sold out Bristol open day

The project will also see the site’s biodiversity increase by more than 40%, a £40,000 fund for local community-led, sustainable projects created and over £1m spent on services and contracts in the local area.
Thrive has already provided funding to the UK’s first deep geothermal power plant, which is construction at United Downs, near Redruth.
Similarly to United Downs, the second site at Penhallow will be made up of two deep wells. The first will reach approximately 4,500 metres deep and will bring the naturally heated water to the surface, whilst the second well will be around 3,000 metres deep and will be used to return the cooled fluid back under ground after it has been used to produce electricity and heat. Construction works are expected to start next year, with generation estimated to start in 2026 – delivering circa 42,000 MWh of baseload renewable electricity per year, enough to power around 11,000 UK homes and save 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to GEL.

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UD 10

Planning for Geothermal Engineering Ltd’s second geothermal power plant in Cornwall has been granted, with works expected to start in 2023.

Investing into the next phase in geothermal electricity production

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The new polling, undertaken by Opinium Research, surveyed 1,000 UK retail investors alongside 2,000 people from the general population. The findings show that seven in 10 investors (69%) think we should increase the amount the UK invests in renewable energy, despite the position of the new Prime Minister, who has indicated that she will restrict development in renewables.
Specifically, 65% of retail investors support more solar energy projects in the UK, which rises to 78% of seasoned investors that have been investing for 10 years or more. Meanwhile, 62% support more onshore wind projects (rising to 72% of experienced investors).
<h3>Future thinking investors funding renewables themselves</h3>
8 in 10 investors (81%) say they are concerned about the long-term implications of the energy crisis, with many (57%) wanting to use their investing power to help bring down energy costs for all. Over half (56%) say that, as an investor, they feel a responsibility to use their investments to help the UK achieve its net-zero carbon goals.
Prompted by this desire for positive change in the energy sector, nearly six in 10 investors (57%) have recently, or plan to, increase their investments in renewables. This attitude, in support of investing in renewable energy, is shared by the UK population as a whole, with two-thirds (66%) wanting investment in renewables to increase.
<h3>Thrive&#8217;s crowdfunding campaign reaches £5 million</h3>
Our current share offer provides further proof of public support for investing in renewables. We have now raised more than £5 million from over 1,000 investors to fund new renewable energy generation and storage projects across the UK. We are aiming to raise a total of £7 million. The offer is promoted by Triodos Bank UK through its crowdfunding platform (<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find out more here</a>) with a minimum investment of £94 (40 shares). As with all investments, returns are not guaranteed, and investors may not get back all, or any, of their original investment.
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UK retail investors are deeply concerned about the climate and energy crisis and want to take matters into their own hands by investing in renewables to find long-term, sustainable solutions, according to our new research.

Investors back renewables in bid to solve energy and climate crisis as Thrive's share offer reaches £5 million

We are pleased to report a significant increase in generation and associated emissions savings as wind speeds returned to expected levels in the first half of 2022 and new clean energy projects came into operation.
A 38% increase on the same period last year, our clean energy projects generated 73,625 MWh of clean electricity<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> – enough to power the equivalent of almost 40,000 average UK homes<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> – and delivered emissions reductions equivalent to 32,653 tonnes of CO2 during January to June 2022.
Half year operating profits were £3.4m on a turnover of £8.4m, with shareholders receiving a final dividend of 7p per share for 2021, which was paid in July 2022.
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Good progress has been made with our diversification strategy, which includes the construction of three commercial solar rooftop sites as part of our work with Olympus Power. We’ve also begun works on our 20MW battery storage site at Feeder Road in Bristol, with the project expected to be connected to the grid later this year.
In April, we finalised our investment in Ambition Community Energy, with our unique collaborative funding model helping to get England’s biggest onshore wind turbine into construction after years of planning work. With a capacity of 4.2MW, the turbine will be capable of generating enough power for close to 3,000 homes – the equivalent of Lawrence Weston’s domestic use. The project will also save almost 120,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime. Groundwork is now underway, and commissioning is expected in Spring next year.

Our mission to decarbonise the energy system and tackle climate change also saw us named as a Best for the World B Corp for the second year running, putting us in the top 5% of global B Corps for our positive impact on the environment, and highly commended for financial leadership at the British Renewable Energy Awards.
We are currently crowdfunding for £7 million to further increase our impact by building new clean energy projects across the UK. To find out more and register, visit<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2022"> Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform here.</a> Remember, investing comes with risk. Returns are not guaranteed, and you may not get back all, or any, of your original investment.
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<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Refers to Thrive’s impact portfolio – total electricity generation of the portfolio adjusted for Thrive’s proportion of ownership, plus the projects Thrive is funding.
<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/news/thrive-s-2022-half-year-results-reveal-increase-in-generation/#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showing that UK average domestic household consumption is 3,748 kWh per annum (1874 kWh for a half year) www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained

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Guardian group shot ACE

Good wind resource and strong progress with diversification strategy reflected in positive performance.

Thrive's 2022 half year results reveal increase in generation

From 10am – 3pm on Saturday 24 September, we’re inviting you to join us at our Avonmouth wind farm in Bristol for a day filled with fun activities for the whole family. Take a tour of the site, peek into the base of a turbine with one of Thrive’s experts, watch the lively, interactive climate change show by <a href="http://www.explorerdome.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explorer Dome</a> and enjoy lots of other wind-related activities for kids, from arts and crafts to face painting and more. Entry is by ticket only and places are limited, please visit the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/avonmouth-wind-farm-free-family-open-day-tickets-407360986677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eventbrite page here to book</a>.
The event takes place at the start of <a href="https://greatbiggreenweek.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#GreatBigGreenWeek</a> – the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature, started by the Climate Coalition.
This will be Thrive’s first open day since 2019, after putting the event on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions. Some transport will be provided from the city centre and Lawrence Weston.

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Caton Moor

For the first time since 2019, we’re hosting an open day! You’ll have chance to tour our wind farm at Avonmouth in Bristol, learn more about renewable energy and enjoy lots of other fun activities on-site as #GreatBigGreenWeek kicks off.

Get up close to an operational wind turbine at our free family open day

A battery energy storage system (BESS) charges itself by taking energy from the grid or power plant e.g., a solar array and then discharging that energy later when needed. As we move towards a more renewables-based energy system, battery storage is becoming more critical. This is because it helps provide greater flexibility, enabling higher levels of renewable energy to be integrated onto the grid – i.e. storing energy when it’s really windy, for example, and releasing it when demand peaks.
Power from smaller MW batteries like our Feeder Road site can be combined (aggregated) so that they provide a larger storage resource. This is where software platforms, such as those provided by Flexitricity, become incredibly important as they help provide oversight of multiple batteries, ensuring that they work together to match the consumption demand of our towns and cities.

Flexitricity pioneered the demand side response industry in Great Britain thirteen years ago and has added a host of grid scale and behind-the-meter battery storage projects to its ‘virtual power plant’ platform which aggregates multiple sites benefiting customers as well as the national energy system. Flexitricity has a contracted virtual power plant of over 800MW and this agreement pushes the contracted portfolio of batteries to over 330MW.

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The agreement will allow the lithium-ion BESS site to be monitored and dynamically optimised from Flexitricity’s 24/7 control room in Edinburgh.

Thrive joins forces with aggregator, Flexitricity, on 20MW battery project in Bristol

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has participated in our share offer so far –with your help we’ve raised over £4 million to support our mission of building new clean energy projects that reduce carbon emissions and ultimately help tackle the climate emergency.
We’re now working towards our end goal of raising over £5 million (with a maximum raise of £10 million). The crowdfund marks the first step in our ambitious growth plans as we seek to further diversify and expand our portfolio, creating value across the electricity system as it transitions to net zero by 2035.
As well as investing in new renewable generation and battery projects, the funding generated will help support local communities looking to take a meaningful stake in the energy transition. We aim to continue investing collaboratively with community energy groups so that they can build their own projects and take control of their energy supply.

Minimum investment in the crowdfunding offer is £94 (40 shares) and shares can be held in a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). We are targeting 5-8% return per year through a combination of dividends and increasing share value. As with all investments, returns are not guaranteed, and investors may not get back all, or any, of their original investment.
The crowdfund launched on 27 June via Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform and we expect it to close by the end of September.

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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

There’s still an opportunity to help us expand our portfolio of clean energy projects, from onshore wind to commercial rooftop solar and battery storage.

We've hit the £4 million milestone in our crowdfund - But we're not stopping there!

In response, there have been some significant policy announcements by government, including the Energy Security Bill, which is currently being read by Parliament, and a fundamental review of the UK electricity market. Currently gas prices dictate wholesale electricity costs and we have been calling for this to come to an end for some time – it is unacceptable that UK energy consumers are still not able to fully access the economic benefits of renewables.
Below we unpick the changing energy landscape, the proposed policy and market changes and what this means for the future roll-out of renewables in the UK.
<h3>Why are energy prices so high?</h3>
Ultimately, prices are high because of the way the electricity market is currently structured. Energy suppliers and generators trade electricity in half-hourly auctions, with the National Grid responsible for matching supply and demand. Bids for each half hour of demand are stacked in price order, starting with the least expensive and flexible generators – renewables – and the price is then set by the last and most expensive generator into the auction – often, gas.
This means that the end price we pay for electricity is susceptible to any wider volatility in the gas market, which has become increasingly strained due to a global supply shortage. Several geo-political issues are also at play, including the world’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.
With gas flows being restricted by Russia, the government has subsequently raised concerns over the country’s energy security and the need to end our dependence on fossil fuel imports. That’s where the energy security bill comes in.
<h3>The energy security bill</h3>
The Energy Security Bill was published in July, containing 26 measures that ministers claim will help reduce the UK’s dependence on imported gas. As we <a href="/latest-news/blog/energy-security-strategy-a-disappointing-result-for-onshore-wind-but-there-s-still-reasons-to-be-hopeful/">outlined in our initial response</a>, it was positive to see the government aligning the strategy to net zero and recognising the important role renewables will play in both reducing carbon emissions and lowering the cost of energy long term.
However, we were disappointed to see a lack of support for certain clean technologies such as onshore wind, especially as <a class="js-scroll-done" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-23/building-new-renewables-cheaper-than-running-fossil-fuel-plants#xj4y7vzkg">new data from BloombergNEF</a> has found that it’s now cheaper to build and operate new large-scale wind or solar plants in nearly half the world than it would be to run an existing coal or gas-fired power plant.
The bill, which has been called the most “ambitious package of energy measures in a decade”, also included the promise of a broad review into the UK electricity market which, amongst other things, aims to explore the ways we could decouple the wholesale electricity market price from fossil fuels.
<h3>Electricity market reform</h3>
The Department for Business, Energy &amp; Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched the consultation in July as part of its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). According to the press release, ‘REMA will focus on establishing a fit-for-purpose market design, identifying and implementing the reforms needed to GB electricity markets that work for businesses, industry, and households’.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said: “We’ve just seen the price of offshore UK wind power fall to an all-time low and gas is a shrinking portion of our electricity generating mix, so we need to explore ways of ensuring the electricity market is adapting to the times. That includes ensuring the cost benefits of our increasing supply of cheaper energy trickle down to consumers, but also that our system is fit for the future – especially with electricity demand set to double by 2035.”
Alongside a review of the marginal pricing model, another issue that has been raised is how we can incentivise consumers to use energy at times when renewables are cheap and abundant, instead of at times of high demand when power is more likely to be generated from high-cost, high-carbon sources like gas. It will also consult on the evolution and expansion of existing schemes, such as the Capacity Market and Contracts for Difference (CfD).
If done correctly, we believe that reform of the current structure will be a positive move and will support the UK’s acceleration towards a clean energy system. There is some work to be done on ensuring that initiatives such as the CfD auction work in favour of smaller projects too. We look forward to taking part in the consultation, considering how the reform will support future investment and development of clean energy projects, whilst working in the best interests of consumers during challenging times.
<h3>Keeping up momentum in a changing world</h3>
Although almost 40 per cent of our electricity was provided by renewable sources in 2021 – the second highest year for generation on record – the UK still relies too heavily on fossil fuels. According to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes-2022">latest Digest of UK Energy Statistics</a> (DUKES), fossil fuel electricity generation increased by 11% last year, due to increased demand and lower renewable generation as a result of adverse weather conditions.
Given the current economic climate, there is a clear need to accelerate the roll-out of renewables in the UK, but this needs to be backed by favourable policies that allow investors and developers to move forward with building new projects quickly. The energy security bill and REMA go some way in increasing industry confidence and highlight an acknowledgement from government that moving to a cleaner energy system is both achievable and a priority. This is of course something we have known and championed for a long time, but we will continue sharing our insight to inform the important conversations unfolding. While we are facing increasingly difficult and uncertain times, one thing is for sure – there is no time to waste when it comes to ending our reliance on dirty fossil fuels. This is why Thrive was founded way back in 1994 and we’ll continue working hard to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate crisis.

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DC01

The government recently announced the ‘biggest reform of the UK electricity market in a generation’. With energy prices set to soar further as we move into winter, it’s critical that we accelerate our transition to a renewables-based energy system.

The energy market isn't working – Let the winds of change blow through

In <a href="https://www.positive.news/environment/energy/the-bristol-council-estate-building-englands-largest-wind-turbine/">our latest article with Positive News UK</a>, you can read more about Thrive’s work with Ambition Lawrence Weston – the pioneering community group behind England’s largest wind turbine – and why it should act as a shining light for other communities across the UK who want to follow suit.

Thrive’s Managing Director, Matthew, discusses this landmark project, the power of community energy and why onshore wind should be used to help end the UK’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

Positive News UK: The Bristol community building England's largest wind turbine

With support from Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), eligible buildings can now apply for the funding which can be used to cover energy saving measures including insulation, draught proofing, improved heating or lighting controls and LED lighting. Communities will also be able to access free expert advice from CSE on zero-cost solutions.
To apply for the nationwide scheme, which is now in its sixth round, the shared building – such as a church hall or community centre – will need to be located within a 20-mile radius of one of our clean energy projects.
We first started our Community Benefit Programme back in 2016 because we wanted to plug a funding gap between domestic and commercial properties. Since then, we’ve awarded 41 grants to 33 community buildings, totalling over £120,000. These improvements save 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
The application process will be administered by CSE, with applicants asked to complete a full energy survey of the shared building using guidance supplied by the charity. 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 11th September 2022. You can find out more information and apply here: <a href="https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1304">https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1304</a>

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hi vis

Round six of our Community Benefit Programme is now open to applications, run in conjunction with national energy charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).

Thrive offering energy efficiency grants to local community buildings to help with energy bills

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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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-6881 size-large" src="/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="1024" srcset="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-225x300.jpg 225w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kil-32-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />

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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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