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Latest news

The capital raised will help fund two new wind farms in Scotland and Wales, and provide funding to enable communities to build and own their own local projects.
<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more and invest</a>
You will need to register for Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform to access the offer document.
Thrive is one of the UK’s top crowdfunded companies, raising £63 million so far which we have used to fund 45 wind, solar and hydro projects across the UK. Backed by a community of over 6,000 shareholders, we enable individual and impact-driven institutional investors to put their money to work to make a difference and generate a fair return. This new bond offer will allow investors looking for both a financial and social return to back new renewable energy projects that help tackle the climate emergency and support local communities.
The five year bond has a minimum investment of £25, paying 5.5% gross interest per year, and is eligible to be held in the Triodos Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA), that allows interest to be received tax-free. Interest payments and repayment of capital are not guaranteed. Like all ISAs, the Innovative Finance ISA is subject to eligibility criteria and tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. ISA eligibility does not guarantee returns or protect consumers from losing their money.
In 2023 we announced our ambition to double generation capacity within five years, and we are already developing the projects we need to achieve this. Funds raised from the bond will help construct our largest project yet – a 14 turbine, 57MW onshore wind farm in the Scottish Borders. Once operational, the project will be capable of generating up to 149,400 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering around 45,000 average UK homes, and delivering 65,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions annually.
The bond will also help to fund the development of Abergorki wind farm in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The three-turbine project is expected to begin operating in 2027 and will be capable of generating up to 40,000 MWh of clean electricity per year, the equivalent of powering over 12,400 average Welsh homes.

In 2016 Thrive raised £13 million through two bond offers – one of which was the UK’s first bond offer to be made available through an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). Projects funded by the offers are still generating clean electricity today, with both bonds repaid as planned in 2021 and 2024.
Now open, our first bond offer since 2016 will help us build new wind farms that will help sustainably power the equivalent of over 57,000 more homes.

<ul>
<li>Target amount: £5 million as part of a wider £10 million raise</li>
<li>Term: Five years with 5.5% gross interest, paid annually in arrears. Payment of interest and repayment of capital are not guaranteed.</li>
<li>Minimum investment: £25</li>
<li>Closing date: 16 April 2026, unless fully subscribed earlier or the offer is extended</li>
<li>Offer document: <a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk</a> (applications only via platform)</li>
<li>Eligible to held in a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA, which means that interest would be paid gross. Like all ISAs, the Innovative Finance ISA is subject to eligibility criteria and tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. ISA eligibility does not guarantee returns or protect consumers from losing their money.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables-plc-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more and invest</a>

Key terms of the bond

You should read the offer document in full—including the risks section—before deciding whether to invest. Investing in the bond is not the same as depositing money in a bank account as your capital is at risk and you may not get back the full amount that you invested. An investment in the bond is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. If you are unsure as to the suitability of the investment, you should contact an independent financial advisor. 
If you have any questions or need further information, please send a secure message through the Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform once you’ve registered or ring Triodos Bank on 0330 355 0355.
This financial promotion was approved on 10 February 2026 by Triodos Bank UK Limited, registered in England and Wales with no. 11379025. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS, United Kingdom. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008.

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We’re raising funds to build new clean energy projects and finance more community energy.  

New bond offer open – help us develop and build two new wind farms

Featured

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

We kicked off our celebrations last month with a birthday reception and a family open day at our Avonmouth wind farm. Nick Stromberg, intern at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, writes for Blue Patch’s Youth Blog about the events and festivities.
Read the full blog on the Blue Patch <a href="https://community.bluepatch.org/renewable-energy-in-britain-from-thrive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>

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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

The Blue Patch youth blog reports on Thrive’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Thrive at 25! Youth blog

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The National Grid produces Future Energy Scenarios describing how power will be generated, distributed and consumed in the future. It demonstrates just how much needs to be done to transform our energy system. We are ready to take on this challenge and invest in new wind, solar and hydro projects; with the right policy framework in place, this transformation will happen.
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To-date, the UK has built a fifth of the renewable capacity required to slow climate change. With the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) suggesting we have only 12 years to turn the climate change around, the role for Thrive, its investors and others in building new sustainable energy infrastructure continues to be absolutely crucial.
Our mission is to power the transition to a sustainable energy future by helping people meaningfully connect with clean energy projects. By doing this we can achieve wider energy access and lower costs for everyone over the coming years. With the twin challenges of national planning guidance and an energy system where onshore renewables stand alone in being unsubsidised, the pioneering and values driven investment approach of Thrive and its investors has never been more relevant.
If government, industries and individuals work together towards this common goal, we will succeed in creating a cleaner, fairer and brighter future. We asked some of Thrive’s friends and key industry figures to imagine what this future might look like. Here’s what they said.
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1 &#8211; Cumulative generation since 1998, average UK homes equivalent consumption of 3.781MWh/p.a./UK home (https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained), average residents per household 2.3 (https://www.ons.gov.uk/ peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/ populationestimates/bulletins/populationandhousehold estimatesfortheunitedkingdom/2011-03-21)

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It’s Good Money Week, organised by the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, which Thrive is part of. As our investors know, money has the power to create real, positive change in the world.

Working together towards a brighter future

Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of impassioned people joined marches and rallies in more than 200 locations. From big cities like London, Manchester and Newcastle, which drew crowds of up to 100,000 people, to small towns and villages such as Fort William, Rhyl and Laugharne which saw 6 local villagers gather to join the global movement.
Thrive team members joined other Bristol businesses at our local Bristol march which saw a speech by Natalie Bennett of the Green Party, protestors staging a symbolic ‘die in’ and a youth poetry reading. Another member of the team, who took strike action herself from work, attended the rally outside Westminster in London.
<h3>London 20 September 2019</h3>
As people gathered from 11am, quickly filling up the streets and gardens surrounding the Houses of Parliament, the sun shone down illuminating the masses of home-made signs and radiant smiles of young and old alike. Small groups of primary school children brought by teachers stayed on the edges of the rally taking part in games and activities, whilst larger groups of teenagers stood on bins and walls holding their placards and chanting climate demands. Multi-faith groups took part in group prayer and music was playing everywhere.
The event was one of overwhelming unity, hope and a collective demand for action. Many people attending had been watching the first marches spread across Australia and the South Pacific on social media and you could not escape the feeling of connection with so many others, a little bit like when we greet the New Year around the world.
Climate justice was the theme of the day with a range of speakers from across the UK and the world discussing what it means to them and how we achieve it together. Strong key themes that came from many of the speakers was the key role racial justice and migrant justice play in achieving climate justice. Climate change disproportionately affects the global south1<a class="js-scroll-done" href="/latest-news/blog/young-people-and-workers-unite-to-demand-action-on-climate-crisis/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"></a> and these communities. The worst effects of climate change will lead to mass migration as vast areas of the globe become uninhabitable2. Some of the most powerful of the speakers were two school children from Malawi. They came to tell 100,000 Londoners what climate change is doing to their country, how droughts, food shortages and extreme weather are affecting their communities. They also came to tell us that we are part of the problem. These two incredibly brave and inspirational young people came to ask for our help, because we have the power and the resources to change.
Other speakers included Owen Jones, The Guardian columnist and author, Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party. Both party leaders came to discuss what their plans were for addressing the climate crisis. They both reiterated the necessity of urgent action following major global events such as the fire in the Amazon rainforest and the hurricane which left devastation in the Bahamas. They also, like many of the day’s speakers, drew attention back to those suffering most from the effects of climate change. Caroline Lucas described climate change as “the biggest social justice issue of our time”. However, these were also messages of hope, thanking those who had joined the movement for showing true climate leadership, for keeping this issue at the top of the political agenda and promising that together, as one movement across the world, we will succeed.
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1 &#8211;  UN report &#8211; Climate Change and Social Inequality <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2017/wp152_2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2017/wp152_2017.pdf)</a>
2 &#8211;  International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Migration and Climate Change (<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/apps/njlite/srex/njlite_download.php?id=5866" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-anchor="?id=5866">https://www.ipcc.ch/apps/njlite/srex/njlite_download.php?id=5866</a>)

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Three Thrive team members joined more than 7.6 million people from across the world to support the Global Climate Strike between 20th and 27th September.

Young people and workers unite to demand action on climate crisis

The power of nature

Today clean, renewable power is providing over a third of the UK’s electricity needs. At Thrive we have been part of this journey for 25 years, working towards a cleaner, smarter energy system. And we’ve come a long way. 

Video: The power of nature

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We are about to hit the milestone of 1.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable electricity generated over the last 25 years, reducing UK CO2 emissions by over 660,000 tonnes1 and meeting the equivalent annual energy demand of one million UK residents2. 22 renewable energy projects have been built or funded by Thrive over the last quarter of a century, the majority of which we own and operate. £35 million has been raised in equity and £13 million in bonds with over 6,100 investors. Assets under management now total £117 million.
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Earlier this year, we sold two onshore windfarms. From the sale of the projects, we realised the next 10 years of predicted dividends, enabling us to pay a 40p per share interim dividend to shareholders and retain a sizeable pot (approximately £11m) to invest in new renewable projects.
We’re now focusing on three main areas:
<ul>
<li>Private wire renewables – enabling businesses to build on-site wind, solar and storage and benefit from lower power prices.</li>
<li>Community Energy Funding Bridge – providing flexible finance for community groups to enable them to build and take ownership of their own renewable energy projects.</li>
<li>Demonstrating that subsidy-free small to medium scale onshore renewable developments are feasible.</li>
</ul>
There is a pipeline of new investment opportunities in place that will be announced in the coming months.
Birthday celebrations commence with our Avonmouth wind farm open day in association with Bristol Open Doors. We’re expecting over 500 people across two days on 13 and 14 September as part of our mission to connect more people to renewable energy. The free event has proved extremely popular and all places were booked within days of becoming available.
[1] https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained
[2] Cumulative generation since 1998, average UK homes equivalent consumption of 3.781MWh/p.a./UK home (https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained), average residents per household 2.3
</div>

Thrive Renewables celebrates 25th anniversary.

People power key for sustainable future

We’re delighted to report that 99.3% of respondents are satisfied with Thrive Renewables. Reasons given for this high level of satisfaction include our focus on renewable energy and ethical practice. This reflects one of our core values, Sustainable At Heart; we always use the principles of sustainability to guide our investment and business approach, and have done for 25 years.
At Thrive we are committed to playing an active role in the clean energy movement and driving positive change in the UK, working towards achieving our mission to power the transition to a sustainable energy future. It’s great to see this recognised by our investors, with 84% of respondents describing Thrive as making a genuine difference to the environment.  
Public support for renewable energy and climate action has grown markedly recently, inspired by the School Strike 4 Climate and Extinction Rebellion movements. According to the UK Government’s public opinion tracker, in 2019 84% of the British public support renewable energy sources for electricity and heat production and 79% <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-attitudes-tracking-survey">support onshore wind</a>. Investors who took part in our survey are overwhelmingly in support of renewable energy and climate action, with 92.2% applauding the school children who went on strike to highlight environmental issues.  
In June, the UK Government signed a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 into law, making history in the process. But this gesture must be followed by tangible actions, and respondents agree. 98.9% think the government need to do a lot more to support the renewable energy industry and 99.7% would like to see the UK produce much more renewable energy than it currently does. 
We need policy with clear and stable direction and investment into renewable energy from the government or we will not meet that target. 99.1% of our survey participants believe that as a society, if we don’t make more investments in renewable energy now, future generations will really suffer.

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98.9% think the government needs to improve support for the renewable energy industry.

Thrive investors have their say

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[1] BEIS: Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes)
[2] BEIS Public Attitude Tracker: Energy and Climate Change (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-attitudes-tracking-survey)
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Did you know that renewables were responsible for meeting just 2% of our electricity consumption back in 1994? Check out our birthday timeline of Thrive history since 1994.

Down memory lane

Drumduff wind farm was officially opened by local MSP Alison Johnstone at a community open day in September 2018. The project has the potential to produce enough clean energy for over 5,000 UK homes[1], and in 2018 was awarded the Sustainable Development award at the Scottish Renewables’ Green Energy Awards.
Thrive has also been shortlisted for Community Energy England’s Collaboration award, for the Community Benefit Programme we run with national charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy. The Community Benefit Programme has been running since 2015, offering grants of up to £4,000 for energy efficiency and sustainability improvements for community buildings close to our renewable energy projects. The grants improve warmth and comfort and reduce running costs in eligible buildings, while also reducing CO2 emissions. These buildings play a key role within their communities, providing vital services and communal space for everyone, including the most vulnerable, to come together. To date, the Community Benefit Programme has awarded over £63,000 to 17 community buildings, saving 40 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Finally, Thrive Renewables has been shortlisted for Green Business of the Year at Business Insider Magazine’s prestigious Business Leaders Awards. With ‘Sustainability At Heart’ one of our core values, we are honoured to be recognised as one of the greenest and most sustainable businesses in the South West. The principles of sustainability guide all aspects of Thrive’s business, from the renewable energy projects we build and operate, to the community events we run.
[1] Calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showing that annual UK average domestic household consumption is 3,781kWh, <a href="https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained">https://www.renewableuk.com/page/UKWEDExplained</a>

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Alongside our valued partners GreenPower International and the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Thrive has been recognised and shortlisted for three industry awards.

Thrive Renewables shortlisted for three prestigious awards

The UK has installed an impressive 44GW of renewable energy capacity in the last few decades, meeting a third of our electricity demand. To meet our net zero carbon emission targets, this rapid growth must continue. Matthew Clayton writes for BusinessGreen on how a few important changes can help lower costs, increase revenue certainty and secure the vital investment needed to transform the UK&#8217;s energy system. Read the full article on the BusinessGreen <a href="https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/opinion/3080625/planning-for-a-successful-subsidy-free-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website.</a>

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Our Managing Director, Matthew Clayton, writes for BusinessGreen.

Planning for a successful, subsidy-free future

The new power purchase agreement (PPA) for the electricity generated by Thrive’s 2.75MW wind turbine at Ness Point, England’s most easterly point, will provide enough energy for 2,225 UK homes. The agreement for the 0.8MW Auchtygills turbine in Aberdeenshire will power an additional 700 homes.
In 1998, Bristol City Council and Thrive separately became renewable energy trailblazers. The council became one of the first local authorities to buy renewable electricity and Thrive invested in its first wind farm – Haverigg.
Twenty years on, Thrive now has a portfolio of 17 renewable energy projects. And, Bristol has set itself the ambitious target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030, with the council <a href="https://news.bristol.gov.uk/news/council-exceeds-carbon-reduction-target-for-a-second-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently announcing</a> it had cut its own carbon emissions by 71%, two years ahead of schedule. The council has also launched its City Leap project to help significantly reduce carbon emissions and build a resilient city where no one is left behind.
Providing accessible renewable energy is a key objective for Thrive and Bristol Energy. The organisations – which are both headquartered in the city centre, by College Green and Temple Meads respectively – are enabling people to get involved by investing in Thrive’s renewable energy schemes or by signing up Bristol Energy’s 100% green tariff.
The deal was completed on e-POWER, an online auction, which enables independent renewable energy generators to sell clean electricity to utilities.
Ness Point
Ness Point, in Lowestoft is the most easterly point in England and the turbine sits right on the sea wall, making the most of winds whipping in off the North Sea.
Since Thrive invested in the project, the <a href="https://www.orbisenergy.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orbis Energy Centre</a> has been established next door, which is a flagship focus for the east of England&#8217;s renewables network and home to a range of established and innovative organisations supporting the sector.
Auchtygills wind farm
The Auchtygills turbine is a single, 0.8MW machine built near Strichen in Aberdeenshire. The Auchtygills project makes an annual community benefit payment to the local council. This payment is used by the council to carry out sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental improvements to existing housing stock in the area and to contribute to educational and art projects in the area through the local Mintlaw Academy.

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Thrive Renewables and Bristol Energy have today unveiled an agreement for 3.55MW of renewable electricity, enough to power almost 3,000 homes, from two onshore wind farms in Suffolk and Aberdeenshire.

Thrive and Bristol Energy agree wind power deal for 3,000 homes

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

We know there’s a lot more left to do, but it’s important to celebrate the positives (no matter how small!) so that we start the New Year feeling even more motivated in our mission to accelerate the UK energy transition.   
1. Renewables are about to take over fossil fuels for the first time ever  
At the time of writing, the UK is on track to make a major breakthrough – with renewable energy generation set to overtake fossil fuels for the first full year. According to the think tank, Ember, the country’s naturally abundant wind, solar and hydro resources will generate 37% of the UK’s electricity in 2024 compared to fossil fuels (35%) – this will be the first time that renewables have outperformed fossil fuels consistently across four quarters.  
That might not sound like a lot, but it’s important to recognise how far we’ve come, especially as just three years ago fossil fuels generated 46% of UK electricity and renewables generated 27%. 
2. Government puts net zero at the heart of its plans  
A new Government was elected in July and the party made a number of quick policy announcements, reaffirming its commitment to net zero and recognising the swift action that is needed if the country is to meet its climate targets. 
There were a number of promises made as part of its election manifesto – including the creation of a nationalised energy company (Great British Energy), radical planning reform, more support for local power generation and the promise of a rooftop solar revolution. While we’ll have to wait and see how some of these evolve, there has already been strong progress in some important areas – including the removal of the effective ban on onshore wind and the UK’s biggest Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction to date, with the budget increasing from £1 billion to over £1.5 billion. Over 130 wind, solar and tidal projects secured long term price stability, including our Abergorkie wind farm site in Wales.  
Last week, we also saw the announcement of the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/675bfaa4cfbf84c3b2bcf986/clean-power-2030-action-plan.pdf">Government’s Clean Power 2030 action plan</a>, which outlines how it will achieve the “most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations”. Key measures include speeding up planning decisions and reducing grid connection times, as well as a focus on ensuring that communities directly benefit from clean energy infrastructure. 
3. We breezed past a new milestone for wind generation 
The UK achieved 30GW of wind capacity this year, following the successful powering of the 434MW Viking wind farm on the Shetland Islands in August. According to RenewableUK, 30GW is enough to meet the annual power needs of 26 million homes and can cut carbon emissions by more than 35 million tonnes a year. 
As one of the first companies to fund UK wind farms in the early 90s, we have long believed in the power of these mighty machines. And while this milestone feels like it’s been a long time coming for us, it’s a huge success for the industry – especially given the fact that it took 26 years to install the first 15GW of wind energy in the UK and that has now been doubled in just seven years. 
It’s proven that onshore wind is one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity today and therefore has a vital role to play in our transition away from fossil fuels. Now we have seen the de facto ban lifted in England, we hope to see many more wind projects making their way through planning and into development, as well as a renewed focus on repowering, which will see older sites that have reached the end of their life replaced with fewer, but more efficient, machines with the capability to generate more clean electricity.   
4. The UK became the first G7 country to fully divest in coal power 
In September, the UK closed its doors on its last coal plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar &#8211; the first G7 country to completely phase out the use of coal for generating power. Ending over a century of burning coal to generate electricity, we have moved from coal accounting for more than 95% of the UK’s electricity generation to 0% today. In another positive announcement, the government recently confirmed that it will be introducing legislation that will ensure no new coal mining licences will be issued in future. 
5. Thrive kicked off celebrations for thirty years of funding and building clean energy projects
It wouldn’t be a 2024 round up if we didn’t celebrate one of our own significant milestones from this year – our 30th birthday. Since 1994, we’ve been committed to climate action, funding and building new clean energy projects that put people and planet at their heart.  
By working together, we’ve been able to achieve some great things, whether it be enabling the first commercial sized wind farm to transfer into community hands or investing in the UK’s first deep geothermal production plant. In total, we’ve built or funded 42 clean energy projects that have saved over two million tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. And we’re only just getting started. 2025 looks set to be another exciting year and we look forward to working with you – our Thrive community – to create a better, cleaner future for the generations to come.

We look back on some of the renewable energy wins from 2024. 

2024 in review: Reasons to be climate positive this Christmas

Thrive has made a significant investment in Gulliver, which is now nearly 20 years old, to ensure it runs reliably into the future  &#8211; generating clean power for homes and businesses across the UK.  The 2.75MW turbine is capable of generating clean electricity for more than 2,200 average UK homes a year.

The replacement turbine parts fitted during the overhaul are refurbished parts from a windfarm in the Netherlands – a great example of reuse.  The blades and nacelle were thoroughly assessed and tested and are expected to operate efficiently for years to come.
Gulliver’s old blades are currently being repurposed into bicycle shelters in the Netherlands. Other components have been made available for resale or are being broken down for recycling.
Since Thrive invested in the project in 2005, Lowestoft has become a growing hub for renewables. The Orbis Energy Centre has been established next door to Ness Point wind turbine – a flagship focus for the east of England’s renewables network and home to a range of innovative organisations supporting the sector. Lowestoft is also central for servicing the growing number of offshore wind farms in the area. 
In the latest round of Thrive’s Community Benefit Programme which provides energy efficiency grants to community hubs near its projects, Seething and Mundham Village Hall near Ness Point was awarded £980 to install LED lighting. The measures will help the popular community centre reduce its energy bills and carbon footprint.

Works taking place during overhaul of Ness Point wind turbine. 

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