A letter from our chair

2024 was another rollercoaster year for the planet in which we saw the 1.5C global warming limit exceeded for the first time, bringing with it a series of storms, wildfires and droughts that have battered communities and habitats globally.

There have also been some real wins – in September, the UK became the first G7 country to fully divest itself of coal-generated electricity when the last remaining coal-fired power plant shut its doors for the final time. The UK’s wind fleet set new records, becoming the largest source of electricity generation for the first year ever (accounting for 30 per cent of the mix), and the new Government made a number of positive policy updates – notably removing the de facto ban on onshore wind planning consents in England.

Despite the highs and lows, we remain resolutely focused on achieving our mission – a world where everyone can be part of the clean energy generation. With your support, we’ve continued funding and building new renewable projects that not only help to reduce household bills but deliver significant emissions reductions – upwards of 60,000 tCO2e over the course of the year. Turning 30 was a significant milestone for us, which we were thrilled to celebrate with some of you at our open day at Caton Moor in September.

I’m also proud to share another major achievement from the end of the year; we secured the development rights to our biggest project to date, a 57MW, 14-turbine wind farm in the Scottish Borders, acquired with the support of our new match funding partner, TopCashback Sustainability Ltd, which has unlocked £80 million in collaborative capital. An additional £20 million in match funding has also been secured for community owned wind and solar via our partnership with social impact investor, Better Society Capital, ensuring ordinary people can own and benefit from their local projects.

With 40MW of new capacity added to our development pipeline in 2024, plus a further 35MW of match funded development capacity, we are already making substantial headway with our goal to double our generation capacity by 2028. Together we are helping transform the UK’s energy system, making it more sustainable, reliable and affordable for all.

Jo Butlin
Chair of the board of Thrive Renewables plc

 

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