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Latest news

Thrive has been working with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) since 2015 to deliver the programme which has awarded over £224,000 nationally so far, saving a combined estimate of 94 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. In 2024, £33,000 was awarded to nine community buildings across the UK, including St. Werburghs City Farm in Bristol who used their funding to install LED lighting and a new heating system.     
To apply for a grant, applicants will be asked to complete an energy survey of their community building using guidance supplied by CSE. This will calculate carbon savings for different options and identify the most effective potential improvements. Applications will remain open until 7th November 2025. Full details on how to apply can be found on CSE’s website <a href="https://www.cse.org.uk/my-community/community-projects/thrive-renewables-community-benefit-programme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, this year we’re making an additional £30,000 available to install solar panels on two community buildings close to our sites.

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We’re offering grants to community centres near our projects to help them become warmer, cosier and cheaper to run.  

It’s back! New round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme is now open

Featured

Responding to yesterday’s government announcement on proposed amendments to the Contracts for Difference scheme Matthew Clayton, Managing Director at Thrive Renewables, said:

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Wind turbine NO LOGO

Thrive Renewables responds to government announcement on proposed amendments to the Contracts for Difference scheme

<div>So far, two wells have been successfully drilled, one of which is the deepest onshore well in the UK at 5.1km vertical depth, almost four times the height of Ben Nevis.  The wells are also the hottest in the UK with an expected temperature of over 190°C.  Initial flow tests show that the project will be capable of producing the UK’s first geothermal electricity. The project is now in its final testing phase.</div>
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<div>Thrive Renewables is investing funds to complete the final rounds of testing and to build the geothermal power plant.  Radial turbines, powered by the energy from water heated deep in the earth, will generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 6,500 UK homes and will be available 24 hours a day. There are also early stage plans to use the residual heat energy from the project to provide renewable heat locally.</div>

The United Downs geothermal power plant could start to generate renewable electricity as early as next year. Geothermal electricity generation technology has proved very successful in Europe and beyond, with over 12,500MW currently operational globally.

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UD 10

The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project has been set up to explore the deep geothermal resources in Cornwall and is working towards making the county’s vision for a low-carbon energy future a reality. 

To establish the United Downs power plant, two deep geothermal wells have been drilled into the granitic rock beneath the site.  The wells are directional (j-shaped) to intercept a target geological structure (the Porthtowan Fault).  The natural structure enables water to be circulated through the hot rock from the injection well to the production well in a continuous cycle.   As the water moves through the rock it picks up heat which is then extracted and converted to electricity at the surface.

The electricity and heat energy produced from the plant will be continuous (24/7) as geothermal energy does not suffer from the peaks and troughs that many other renewable power sources are subject to.

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United Downs 3

About the United Downs geothermal power project

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UD geothermal 2 1400

Funding will enable final testing and power plant construction.

Thrive Renewables to invest up to £6.5 million in the UK's first geothermal electricity power plant being developed by Geothermal Engineering Ltd

Profits generated by the turbine were paid to the Baywind members and to the Baywind Energy Community Trust, a charity which offers grant funding for energy, education and community welfare in the Furness area.
Now that the 20 year agreement has ended, Baywind has decided not to make further investment in the wind turbine at Haverigg II. Ownership of the turbine has returned to Thrive for a fee, but the company is very open to further community co-ownership in the future. Thrive continues to invest in one of Baywind’s other community wind farms, Mean Moor, which is owned jointly by three community co-operatives.

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4 turbines

In 1998, when the Haverigg II wind farm site in Cumbria was first built, Thrive Renewables agreed to grant ownership of one of the turbines to the pioneering local energy co-operative, Baywind, for 20 years.

Thrive Renewables and Baywind Energy Co-operative agree deal for Turbine at Haverigg II

We believe this new policy will benefit Thrive in three ways:
<h3>Cutting carbon</h3>
Thrive exists to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions by powering the clean energy transition. Currently, there is no technological solution for sustainable flights, behaviour change is key to cutting carbon from flights. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49349566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flying less</a> is one of the most the most powerful actions we can take to reduce carbon emissions and protect the planet. A single return flight to Berlin from the UK clocks up the same amount of CO2 as <a href="https://tyndall.ac.uk/publications/tyndall-working-paper/2015/towards-culture-low-carbon-research-21st-century" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 return trips by train</a>, showing the impact of our staff taking just one less flight could be huge. With the workplace a key part of modern life we hope to harness the social power of our staff to unlock this new way to cut carbon – moving beyond more traditional business-focused environmental policies.
<h3>Building a reputation as a climate leader </h3>
We’ve been <a href="/latest-news/news/people-power-key-for-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pioneers in the renewable energy sector</a> for the last 25 years and now we want to be pioneering employers in this urgent area also. As a Climate Perks employer, we will be a part of getting climate conscious travel off the ground (or back to earth!) in the UK. As we continue on our net zero journey, companies and organisations will be expected to show more and more leadership around climate action. So we’re stepping up now! And we will continue to work and push boundaries to find new ways to reduce our impact on the planet.
<h3>Employee wellbeing</h3>
Recent <a href="https://www.triodos.co.uk/articles/2019/how-is-the-environmental-crisis-making-us-feel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research by Triodos Bank</a> showed 29% of the British public feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis, rising to 40% amongst younger people aged 16-24. However, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2220561-stressed-about-climate-change-eight-tips-for-managing-eco-anxiety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking action</a> and having the freedom to make climate and ecologically conscious choices can have a big affect on how you feel. <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media.afreeride.org/documents/Aviation_briefing_Jan2019+FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research by Possible</a> showed 50% of 18-44 year olds would prefer to work for an employer that helps them to take clean travel on holiday. Through Climate Perks we hope to support staff and future recruits make lifestyle choices that reflect their values &#8211; strengthening staff well-being, satisfaction and loyalty.
Learn more about Climate Perks on their <a href="https://www.climateperks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>
Possible is a UK based climate charity that brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change. Combining individual and local actions with larger systemic change, we connect people with each other, and communities with ways to address the climate crisis. Learn more about Possible on their <a href="https://www.wearepossible.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>

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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

We are proud to announce that Thrive is a pioneering member of the Climate Perks programme, created by climate charity “Possible”, offering our staff two paid ‘journey days’ when opting for sustainable holiday travel.

Empowering our team to take sustainable flight-free holidays

In 2016 we developed the Community Energy Funding Bridge to empower communities to develop or purchase their own local renewable energy projects. Since then we’ve supported five community groups to acquire three renewable energy projects.
If your community is interested in building a renewable energy project, we’ve put together a handy guide of 10 things you should think about before you start.
Read the full article on the Community Energy England <a href="https://communityenergyengland.org/news/10-things-to-think-about-when-you-are-planning-a-wind-solar-or-hydro-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>

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Thrive Renewables

Thrive’s top 10 things to think about if you’re planning to build a wind, solar or hydro project.

Empowering communities to build local renewable energy projects

But these changes and the rate at which they move must be turbocharged as we move into the next decade. The 2010’s mark the end of the time for organic transition – we now need radical transformation.
If we are going to get to net zero carbon emissions, the next 10 years will look very different. Matthew Clayton writes for <a href="https://good-with-money.com/2020/01/03/renewables-to-power-a-decade-of-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good With Money.</a>

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Our MD, Matthew Clayton, writes for Good with Money.

Renewables to power a decade of transformation

In her speech at the opening of parliament this week, the Queen said: “My Government will continue to take steps to meet the world-leading target of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.”
Meanwhile, the Committee on Climate Change has written to the Prime Minister pressing him inject new urgency into the development and implementation of policy to deliver on the net zero target:

There is an urgent need to develop and implement ambitious, long-term, joined up policy to deliver net zero and at Thrive we will be working with industry bodies and investors to support that process. In the meantime, there are some straightforward, almost cost neutral things the new government could do right now to create a much more supportive environment for onshore renewables &#8211; the cheapest way of producing electricity across the globe.
<h3>Long term stability &#8211; A new approach to planning</h3>
The UK’s planning regime needs overhauling to reflect the climate emergency and government’s net zero targets. The key is longer-term thinking. Currently, unlike almost any other infrastructure project, new onshore renewables are typically only granted planning permission for a maximum of 20 to 30 years. This built in obsolescence makes investment difficult now subsidies have been removed and could even mean we start to see our onshore wind fleet shrink in size over the next few years. A new, longer term approach to planning for onshore renewables from government would provide the stability needed for investment, ultimately reducing the cost of electricity.
<h3>Size matters &#8211; We could be doing so much more, with so much less</h3>
Currently there are arbitrary limits on the height of onshore wind turbines. Essentially, the taller the turbine, the better wind it can access, and the more power it can generate &#8211; both the environmental and financial costs are less with taller turbines. Current planning rules favour short turbines, hindering land use and realisation of the UK’s abundant natural resource.  We could have fewer, taller turbines generating much more clean electricity at lower cost if some simple changes were made to planning assumptions.
<h3>Businesses as mini power stations</h3>
Many businesses have set net zero targets and are now trying to figure out how they can deliver them. One incredibly powerful way to do this is to use their existing land and buildings as sites for wind, hydro and solar installations. At Thrive, we have successfully delivered several of these projects for businesses <a href="/projects/investment-case-studies/private-wire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the country</a>, helping them save on bills and maximise their use of clean energy.  Consistent policies would business confidence to not only become greener but also play a part in making the UK more self-sufficient.
<h3>Get smarter, together</h3>
What connects your freezer and hot water tank at home with a massive data centre? All have the potential to adjust their electricity consumption to reflect the needs of the grid, and even act as storage. The industry calls this ‘demand side management’. If it were made mandatory, we could unite in adjusting our consumption patterns, saving electricity and reducing the amount of infrastructure we need, which keeps the costs down for everyone.  The technology is here, we just need consumers to demand A**** rated domestic products.
<h3>Bring back the hot water tank!</h3>
Generating our heat more sustainably is a big challenge, but would reap high rewards. When we think of energy storage, our minds leap to batteries and the exciting role electric cars can play in the future. However, a hot water tank, whist not being very new and exciting, is an excellent way to store renewable electricity, shaping demand (heating your hot water) when there is abundant renewable electricity, then storing it as hot water until you need it (at peak energy demand times in the morning), can play a big part in cleaning up our energy needs and reducing the amount of grid infrastructure required. Space heating and hot water accounts for 80% of UK residential energy consumption. Almost 40% of the UK’s energy requirement is for heat with 70% of our heating requirements met by burning natural gas, resulting in 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions.
<h3>Snuggle up</h3>
Energy efficiency always tends to be the Cinderella of energy policy. But a more joined up approach is needed. Energy usage needs to be factored in to the existing building regulations so every new home is as comfortable and cheap to run as possible. Retro fitting insulation, thermostats and other measures should move on from middle class ‘fixer uppers’ and into the mainstream. Those who are old and vulnerable will benefit most from energy efficiency measures, bringing down bills and making homes warmer and cosier. And jobs will be created across the construction industry.
<h3>Cheaper, cleaner energy for all</h3>
Everyone knows we need cheaper, cleaner energy to help us reach net zero as quickly as possible while keeping the lights on. The UK’s Climate Change Committee has spelled out what needs to be done; with over one third of our electricity now generated by renewables, the sector has proved itself. Embedding zero carbon targets across government departments in an integrated way will accelerate our transition to a cleaner, greener future; and long-term planning and policy certainty will allow the sector to build on the success of the last ten years and grow exponentially.

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caton winter 2

Simple steps the new government can take right now to drive growth in renewables.

Get net zero done

Climate activists, scientists, businesses and ordinary people have taken climate change from a “niche’ topic to top of the political agenda. For the first time, the majority of political parties are taking the climate crisis extremely seriously in their manifestos, demonstrating how the public can influence politics and force those in government to take the issues we care about seriously.
In contrast to much of our political discourse at the moment, this debate was broadly civil and constructive. There was point scoring and argument of course, but the reality is that the leaders were essentially in violent agreement. Many of the policies are broadly similar and the argument about deadlines should not distract from acting right now.
A key moment was when Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP mentioned unity. Climate change isn’t something we should be squabbling about, it should unite us together in the fight for our lives. The melting ice sculptures were an impactful visual reminder that not all party leaders chose to take part. But climate change is one of the top issues affecting this election according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/30/climate-crisis-affects-how-majority-will-vote-in-uk-election-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent polls</a>, with 54% of adults saying it will affect how they vote &#8211; rising to 74% for under 25s. So all parties need to take it extremely seriously.
Elsewhere in Europe and internationally, positive steps are being taken. European Parliament declared a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/28/eu-parliament-declares-climate-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Emergency</a> yesterday, and next week sees the start of the most important <a href="https://unfccc.int/cop25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN climate meeting</a> for four years. So our message continues to be the same. Let’s work together to be the change we want to see by building new, clean energy capacity, and keep holding whoever is in government to account to put policy in place with reflects both the gravity of the Climate Crisis and the huge potential we have to create a better future for us all.

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Last night saw the first climate crisis party leaders’ debate in history. This is the issue of our time and the greatest existential threat humanity will face. We have just 11 years to turn the climate-change super tanker around and the next government could be in power for 5 of those years, so this type of national conversation is absolutely vital.

Climate crisis debate - Another step on the transition journey

The company plans for electricity generated at the site to be supplied both directly to a local business and the electricity grid. Thrive Renewables has a track record of innovation in renewable energy project development, including ‘private wire’ projects, designed to enable local businesses to use power directly from a wind farm. This provides long-term, stable energy prices for the business and price certainty for the wind farm operator, protecting both parties from the volatility of the energy market.
When Chapelton wind farm is built, the local community will be able to apply for Thrive Renewables Community Benefit Programme, which offers grants to improve energy efficiency in community buildings like village halls, making them warmer, more comfortable and cheaper to run.

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We have acquired a new wind farm site near Girvan, South Ayrshire in Scotland. The project, to be named Chapelton wind farm, has planning and land rights for three turbines and initial ground works have commenced.

Thrive Renewables acquires new wind farm site in Scotland

The offshore wind sector alone is likely to see a 260% increase in jobs by 2032. In addition, the report suggests that in the next five years there will be 600,000 positions which will need replacing due to staff retirement; there are simply not enough young graduates entering the field to replace them. It is therefore important for our sector to do what we can to inspire more people to pursue careers in renewable energy.
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So, on 4 November we were particularly pleased to welcome a group of engineering students from the University of Bristol to Avonmouth, to give them a behind the scenes look at an operational onshore wind farm. We also wanted to provide some insight into what skills go into developing renewable energy projects and careers options available.
Operations Manager, Adrian, talked to the students about each stage of development, from financing the project and gaining planning permission, to construction and operations. Many of the students had not visited a wind farm before and enjoyed learning more about the turbines.

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The UK renewables sector is currently experiencing a severe skills shortage.

Supporting the next generation of renewable energy engineers

Green Great Britain Week could not be more relevant and needed right now. We are in a climate emergency, that emergency cannot be postponed or rescheduled. Every day, week, month we waste on inaction is to the detriment of not just the UK, but the entire planet. We have so much to do and just over 11 years to do it.
<h3>More good news on renewables</h3>
A recent report released by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/21/renewable-energy-to-expand-by-50-in-next-five-years-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Energy Agency</a> showed that global renewables are growing faster than expected and could expand by 50% in the next five years, led by a resurgence in cheaper solar power. This growth will bring the world’s renewable generated electricity up to 30%. Whilst this is fantastic news, if we have any hope of achieving climate, air quality and energy access goals, the deployment of renewables must accelerate ever further still.
In the third quarter of 2019, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/14/renewable-electricity-overtakes-fossil-fuels-in-uk-for-first-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK renewables generated more electricity than fossil fuels</a> for the first time since the first ever power plant in 1882, providing 40% of our electricity needs. Helped by a string of new offshore wind farms built this year, wind power is the UK’s strongest source of renewable energy making up 20% of the mix. This signifies a crucial tipping point in our energy transition, and yet another milestone on our net zero journey.
<h3>Environment Bill and Office for Environmental Protection</h3>
In the Queen’s speech on 11 October, the government laid out its new Environmental Bill which will reportedly enshrine environmental principles into law for the first time. Several of the Bill’s proposals have been welcomed, such as those on restoring and protecting nature and tackling plastic pollution. However, few policy details have been released and very little was mentioned in relation to decarbonisation and curbing emissions in line with meeting net zero targets. In addition to the proposed bills, the government announced plans to establish the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), an independent watchdog, to hold the government to account and ensure compliance with environmental targets and laws.
This new watchdog provides an opportunity to put sustainability at the heart of the UK economy. However, we are concerned about its lack of power to discipline non-compliant organisations. Under EU rules, for example, the government has faced heavy fines for failing to meet EU air standards. It has also been forced to reduce nitrogen oxides pollution. The OEP however, will not have such powers which leads to worries that the new watchdog will be insufficient to punish those who breach new standards or fail to hit the UK’s green targets.  With an election in the offing, the future is even more unclear.
<h3>Action and leadership now</h3>
Behind the announcements of government plans to protect and improve the environment through the Environment Bill and the new OEP, they have been slipping ever further from their legally binding targets on emissions that are directly contributing to global heating.
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the government’s advisory group on climate change and emissions targets, outlined changes which need to be made to reach net zero in their 2019 progress report. Changes such as supporting onshore wind and solar and improving home insulation. The new OEP is expected to provide some additional teeth to compliment the work of the CCC. However, it is difficult to have confidence in the OEP’s ability to police our environmental and climate action when so few of the CCC’s recommendations have so far been met.
Right now, we need environmental and climate leadership from government, but also from local authorities, industry, business and individual people. Green Great Britain Week would have been a great opportunity to bring all those different corners of the UK economy and society together to develop and harness that leadership to create real change.
Next year the UK will be hosting COP26 in Glasgow, shining a spotlight on the government’s actions on the climate emergency. If we want to be seen as a world leader on that stage, the work needs to start now, and it needs to start with clear policy and tangible action. We need to create a viable route to market for onshore renewables, the cheapest sources of new energy generation. We need to change the planning regulations to protect the UK’s current portfolio of renewable energy projects from shrinking as they approach the end of their planning consent. We need to support the repowering of older renewable energy projects, making use of more advanced and efficient technology.
The road to net zero is clear. It has been laid out in front of us by scientists and the government’s own <a href="https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-the-uks-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CCC</a>, <a href="https://www.nic.org.uk/assessment/national-infrastructure-assessment/low-cost-low-carbon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National infrastructure Committee</a> and <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700496/clean-growth-strategy-correction-april-2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BEIS</a> to name a few. Now we must choose to take it. We need the new government, when it is elected, to step up and move quickly in the right direction. It should be Green Great Britain Week every week for business, individuals, communities and beyond.

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This week we should have been celebrating Green Great Britain Week.

What happened to Green Great Britain Week?

Each successful community building will receive up to £4,000 to make energy efficiency and sustainability improvements carefully targeted for their specific design and use.  Improvements like loft insulation, new double-glazed windows, draft-proof doors, thermal curtains and efficient LED lighting.
A wide variety of buildings have been awarded grants this year, hosting projects, charities and organisations which support and address different community needs.
Successful applicants include:
<ul>
<li>North East Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau &#8211; an independent charity providing impartial, free advice to the local community</li>
<li>Heart and Sound &#8211; a Scottish youth work and creative media charity</li>
<li>Alloa Rugby Football Club &#8211; a rugby training facility and social club for local sports teams</li>
<li>St Paul’s Parish Church &#8211; the village hub acting as a focal point hosting groups of all ages from across the local area</li>
</ul>
The sustainability improvements are forecast to save community organisations an average of £649 per year. This will go a long way to helping them maintain these vital shared spaces which provide so much for the people who use them. In addition, the energy efficiency improvements are also calculated to save 23.03 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, contributing to the global effort to address the climate emergency and reach our targets of net zero emissions by 2050.
North East Suffolk Citizens Advice Bureau received £1,781 for loft insulation, which will support an ongoing project to improve the energy usage of the building.

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23 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year will be avoided with round 4 of the community benefit programme.

Improved warmth and comfort in vital community buildings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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