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<p><strong>Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. <a href="/risk-summary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take 2 mins to learn more</a>.</strong></p>


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kessingland

Latest news

<p>In the year we celebrated 30 years building and funding clean energy projects, it was special to acquire the rights to our biggest project yet. Construction has started on a 57MW wind farm in the Scottish Borders, which will generate enough power to meet the needs of over 45,000 average UK homes a year once operational.</p>
<p>The project was acquired with the support of our new match funding partner, TopCashback Sustainability Ltd. Fair Play Clean Energy, Thrive’s joint venture with TopCashback Sustainability brings together a combined £80 million in capital to fund new clean energy projects in the UK. An additional £20 million in match funding has also been secured to fund 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.  The two funding relationships allow Thrive to accelerate the scale of impact deliverable.</p>
<p>Last year we also acquired the rights to the 12.6MW Abergorki wind farm in South Wales which is due to start construction this summer.</p>
<p>With 40MW of new capacity added to our development pipeline in 2024, plus a further 35MW of match funded development capacity, we are well on track to achieve our goal to double generation capacity by 2028.</p>
<p>We recently launched a new share offer to help fund these new projects. More details are available on the <a href="https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/thrive-renewables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform</a>.</p>


<p>Supporting communities near our sites remains a crucial part of our social impact work. Through our annual Community Benefit Programme, last year we awarded £33,000 in energy efficiency grants to community centres close to our clean energy projects. The grants have enabled important community hubs to make energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation and draught proofing that help cut carbon and costs.</p>
<p>We were also pleased to celebrate our 30<sup>th</sup> birthday with many of you at our open day at Caton Moor wind farm in September.</p>
<p>You can read our annual report in full <a href="https://cms-admin.thriverenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Thrive_Annual-report_2025_Web_Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>


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Chris Watt Photography_87

Highlights from our annual results.

Thrive announces £11.3 million operating profit for 2024 – with £20.6 million cash allocated to build new clean energy projects

Featured

<p>Our website address has changed from triodosrenewables.co.uk to www.thriverenewables.co.uk</p>
<p>The underlying company, our renewable projects and team remain the same and we continue to maintain our core values and principles. Our aim for the new website is to provide an even better user experience for our visitors and shareholders. This includes improvements to the layout so you can find your way around the site more easily.</p>
<p>We have now launched the first part of the website with a view to fully completing the site by the end of September. If you have any queries or require further information, please do contact us directly.<br />
We welcome your feedback to <a href="mailto:info@thriverenewables.co.uk">info@thriverenewables.co.uk</a> and hope you enjoy the new look and feel of the Thrive Renewables website.</p>


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As part our move to Thrive Renewables, we have redeveloped and launched a new website.

Our new website goes live

<p>Within the first week of going live to existing shareholders, the offer had received almost half of its funding target. The bond had a £250 minimum investment with 5.5% annual return over a five year period and appeared to be warmly welcomed by the investor community. The investment was secured against two existing and generating wind farms in Strichen, Scotland, and as part of its community initiatives, Thrive Renewables made the bond available to the local public as part of the pre-general release.</p>
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<p>Thrive Renewables has a strong investor community which now includes 418 bond holders, of which 100 with an average investment of £6,900 per holder. Investors were drawn from all areas and ages ranging from 24 to 90 years showing the diversity of Thrive Renewables’ community. Despite the withdraw of Government subsidies for renewable energy, the success of this bond offer is testament to Thrive Renewables’ approach of investing in solid portfolios honed over a 20 year history.</p>
<p>Building on the success of Thrive’s recently published annual results, 2015 has been a record-breaking year for the company, with a 16% growth in investor numbers and revenue was up 22% to £15 million. Generation capacity also rose to 169,485 MWh of renewable energy with increased impact equivalent to 72,876 tonnes of CO2 saved (up 26% on last year).</p>
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sigurd 2

Investors have demonstrated their confidence in renewable energy by embracing Thrive Renewables group’s first ever bond offer which closed in record time.

Thrive's first bond offer completed in just under four weeks

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<p>There had previously been a barn owl box on the site, installed on Wessex Water’s pumping station by the Hawk and Owl Trust many years ago. The pumping station is situated right next to one of the wind turbines so, before building work began this box, plus others at the site, were moved to a new location about 400 metres from the wind turbine.</p>
<p>Barn owls were known to use the existing box for breeding prior to the construction of the turbines but have not been recorded breeding on site since the boxes were relocated and the turbines built. The Landmark Practice, who monitor the ecology of the site on behalf of Thrive Renewables, were therefore pleased to find two owlets last month, which are thought to have hatched around the beginning of June. The owlets, which are now seven to eight weeks old, will be competent fliers at around ten weeks old, but will remain close to the nest box until they disperse at around 13 weeks old.</p>
<p>The planning process for the turbines was heavily influenced by wildlife at and around the site. The scheme therefore included measures designed to ensure that there was minimal impact was caused by the addition of the wind farm. This latest development shows that the measures taken have sustained the existing wildlife interest at the site, providing the sensitive conditions needed by barn owls to breed.</p>
<p>Despite the urban setting, the Avonmouth site is a stronghold for wildlife, with rough, grassland areas which are perfect for owls and their prey, including small rodents like voles. While barn owls are traditionally associated with farmland, they are equally suited to brownfield sites as long as they have access to good quality foraging and resting habitat.</p>
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Caton Moor owls

Barn Owls have nested this summer in an owl box situated at our industrial site at Avonmouth. 

We have barn owl chicks at Avonmouth

<p>With a strong 20 year history behind us and having built a trusted and established portfolio of projects driven by sustainability, the fundamentals remain, and are now more important than ever.</p>
<p>The outlook for Thrive Renewables remains positive. Our rationale for this:</p>
<ul>
<li>As one of the leading proponents of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), the UK has set national greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in law.</li>
<li>The weak pound will increase the cost of imported energy prices making renewables more competitive and home grown energy all the more valuable. This moves us closer to a level playing field for renewables making the security of supply a stronger case for the future.</li>
<li>The majority of our debt has fixed interest rates, thereby mitigating exposure to any increased volatility in interest rates.</li>
</ul>
<p>2015 was a record-breaking year of renewable generation for Thrive Renewables with strong growth in our community of shareholders (up 16% in the year to 5,700). Revenue is up 22% to £15m achieving pre-tax profit of £2.3m. In addition, we have just completed our very successful 5.5% bond offer which completed in just under four weeks, connecting more people with renewable energy and releasing capital for growth.</p>
<p>Whilst there is uncertainty in the market, Thrive Renewables shall continue to generate sustainable electricity 365 days a year, rain and shine.</p>


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The wind still blows and the rain continues to fall…

Brexit will not change the weather

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<p>With the addition of three new wind projects, combined with good wind resources in 2015, this allowed Thrive Renewables’ to generate a total of 169,485MWh of renewable energy,  26% more than the 134,480MWh generated in 2014.</p>
<p>The 2015 generation is equivalent to satisfying the electricity demand of 41,187  UK homes (32,080: 2014).</p>
<h2>2015 highlights</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong style="font-size: 16px;">169, 485MWh </strong><span style="font-size: 16px;">&#8211; the amount of green energy we generated</span></li>
<li><strong>41,187 </strong>&#8211;  number of equivalent UK homes powered from our wind farms</li>
<li><strong>3 </strong>&#8211; new projects built (two in Aberdeenshire (100% ownership) and Boardinghouse (75% ownership)</li>
<li><strong>£14,000 </strong>– donations for energy improvements in community buildings and community funding at Wern Ddu site supporting local initiatives</li>
<li><strong>12.83 tonnes CO<sub>2 </sub></strong>– saved per year by an average shareholder (based on 3,800 shares)</li>
<li><strong>15% </strong>&#8211; growth in our shareholder base</li>
<li><strong>7 </strong>&#8211; homes powered with renewable electricity by every shareholder</li>
</ul>
<h2>Operational highlights</h2>
<ul>
<li>The company’s operational generating capacity grew by 17%, from 54.8MW in 2014 to 64.1MW in 2015.</li>
<li>The energisation of Boardinghouse, Auchtygills and Clayfords added 11.85MW (9.3MW when adjusted for Thrive’s ownership) to the portfolio.</li>
<li>Additionally, in November 2015 the Thrive Renewables provided a £2.7m mezzanine debt facility to Renewable Energy Ventures (Gevens) Limited. The £2.7m facility bridges a funding gap, allowing the developer to continue to own and realise the three turbine 6.9MW wind project located in Fife, Scotland. The project’s construction is on schedule and due to commence operations in autumn 2016.</li>
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It’s been a record-breaking year of renewable generation with strong growth in our community of shareholders (up 16% in the year to 5,700).

Results for year end 2015

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<h3><strong>How long have you been with Thrive Renewables and what is your role on the board?</strong></h3>
<p>I’ve been a Non-Executive Director for three years now. My responsibility, along with the other non-executive directors, is to work closely with the executive team providing objective advice and opinion when required. With a background in Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), together with strategic marketing advice, I bring my experience of marketing and communicating environmental and social impact to the Board, and view Thrive’s development and growth through this lens.</p>
<h3><strong>What is your day job and how do you implement the skills from this into your role with Thrive?</strong></h3>
<p>I am currently Director of Responsible Investment and Stewardship at CCLA, the largest UK fund manager for SRI. I analyse companies’ environmental and social performance and integrate that into investment analysis – at the moment, for example, I am leading on public health issues.</p>
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<p>There are many aspects of my background that I bring to the table at Thrive, including my six years in strategic marketing which is necessary for a company as big as Thrive. With a huge base of shareholders, our marketing is more significant than for other renewable energy investments.</p>
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<p>Sixteen years ago I persuaded Cazenove Capital to develop an SRI offering and embedded it across the entire investment process. This experience allows me to pick up on what parts of the business are most relevant to ethical and socially responsible investors, and how to utilise that.</p>
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<p>I’ve also got board experience as a trustee of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and seven years as a board member of UK Sustainable Investment and Finance (UKSIF) – initiating the launch of member services to support the smaller ethical investment houses – so I’ve got lots to draw on in order to help Thrive grow and develop.</p>
<h3><strong>What&#8217;s your favourite aspect of your role and why?</strong></h3>
<p>I greatly enjoy supporting the team and the excellent work they do. In particular, always putting the shareholders first – which is absolutely key to Thrive, and working on improving interaction with our shareholders. As a Non-Executive Director we can often offer new perspectives to the Executive team, so I like to be able to help in that way too.</p>
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<h3><strong>Why did you choose to join Thrive&#8217;s board?</strong></h3>
<p>I had been aware of Triodos Renewables (as Thrive Renewables was) since 2001 – and greatly admired its ambition and the drive of the team behind it. I was particularly drawn to its breadth of appeal and inclusiveness, encouraging anyone to take a stake in renewable energy generation in the UK.  Triodos has established a brand with a great reputation for ethics and Thrive continues to embody them now. It&#8217;s both an exciting and fulfilling time to be a board member of Thrive today.</p>
<h3><strong>What do you think makes Thrive unique?</strong></h3>
<p>The shareholder base. We have almost 6,000 individual shareholders who are passionate about taking a stake in the generation of renewable energy – which makes us unlike anyone else. They are very engaged which means they’re a committed and supportive group of shareholders. They are also concerned about the sustainability of the planet and the need to support the energy business in moving to a more sustainable situation, which is a powerful and important foundation of Thrive Renewables.</p>
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Thrive Renewables. Head shots-16

What's it like to be a member of the Thrive Renewables board? In this article we ask Katie Gordon, Non-Executive Director.

Team profile: Katie Gordon, Non-Executive Director

<p>With a range of shares available to purchase, investors were free to bid on as many or few shares as they liked. Bidding closed at 4.30pm and in total 51,842 shares were traded, all at £2.25 per share. This is within 1% of the Directors’ recommended share price and all sellers offering shares at £2.25 or below were cleared.</p>


Building on the success of its inaugural share auction, Thrive Renewables’ latest trading day saw almost 52,000 shares changing hands at a price of £2.25 each.

Share auction continues to Thrive

<p>This is the first share auction of its kind for Triodos Renewables, and the company hopes to conduct monthly auctions to enable shareholders to manage their stake in the business at regular intervals.</p>
<p>The auction received considerable interest, and after bidding closed at 16.30pm, 58,525 shares were traded this month at an average price of 198.55p per share. All sellers who offered their shares at 185p or lower sold their shares in full, and sellers who offered their shares at 190p sold part of their holding. Likewise anyone who bid 190p or higher for shares was also successful with their bids. Shares that went unsold on this occasion will now roll forward to the March auction, and will be offered on the same basis.</p>


This was the first share auction of its kind for Triodos Renewables.

First share auction success

<p>Over the last two decades Triodos Renewables has grown significantly as a renewable energy company, with 5,700 shareholders and a portfolio of 15 operational renewable projects. With a strong record of generating clean electricity and profits, Triodos Renewables is now at a size where it is able to successfully stand as a fully independent company: <strong>Thrive Renewables </strong>. This change to Thrive Renewables was a joint decision with Triodos Bank which will enable both companies to flourish independently.</p>


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TIDE &amp; ISE 2018

Triodos Renewables will now be known as Thrive Renewables and will begin to trade as such from 1 March 2016. The name change comes as part of the company’s transition to independence from Triodos Bank.

Triodos Renewables changes to Thrive Renewables

<p>The Directors undertake to revisit the Recommended Share Price when events occur which have a material impact on the value of the Company (<a title="Recommended Share Price" href="/for-investors/shareholders/directors-valuation/" data-id="1241">click here for more details of the Directors&#8217; Recommended Share Price</a>). The new price has been calculated using methodology consistent with previous valuations. Drivers behind the increase include rolling the Triodos Renewables financial model forwards capturing the financial position at the end of the 2015, and the inclusion of an investment in an addition 6.9MW onshore wind farm made in December. Updating the long-term wholesale energy price projections had the opposite effect.</p>


Triodos Renewables' Board of Directors has recently agreed a revision of the Directors' Recommended Share price.

Triodos Renewables announce share price increase

<p>But rain dampening Christmas spirits was really the least of our woes as 2015 came to a close. Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank left many in the North of the UK with terrible flooding, often hitting the same homes more than once and exposing this country’s seriously lacking environmental provisions. It was the wettest <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/uk-weather-why-the-recent-devastating-floods-will-become-the-new-normal-a6793291.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December<sup> </sup>since records began</a> for Scotland and Wales, the fourth-wettest for Northern Ireland and the second-wettest overall for the UK – but why?</p>
<p>It’s a sad fact that the phrase ‘since records began’ has become a regular feature in our weather reporting. The Met Office have predicted that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/17/2016-set-to-be-hottest-year-on-record-globally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 will be the hottest on record</a>, which will mean the three hottest years on record have happened in a row. Rainfall in December will make <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35204014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 one of the top 10 wettest years since 1910</a>. And in the US, <a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/news/weird-facts-december-2015-warmth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 6,000 warm-temperature records</a><sup> </sup>were set this December.  The link to El Nino is often cited, but the meteorological community confirms that 2015’s extreme weather was partially due to El Ninio, but <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35354579" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primarily driven by climate change</a>.</p>
<p>This extreme weather means more than just the tragic droughts and floodings. The Met Offices’ prediction indicates the global average temperature in 2016 will be 1.14°C above pre-industrial temperatures, making the 1.5°C goal set at COP21 a huge challenge.</p>
<p>It’s clear that temperatures are rising and more extreme weather is likely to be on the cards for years to come. We take some comfort from <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35213884" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Cameron’s  pledge of £40m</a> to enhance  flood defences – but we all need to work together to address the cause, as well as mitigating the immediate symptoms. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407432/20150203_2013_Final_Emissions_statistics.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy contributes to 30%<sup> </sup>of UK emissions</a> by generating more power renewably and consuming energy more consciously reductions are being achieved. Accelerating progress here is a more sustainable way of addressing the long term problem than building ever higher concrete barriers. If we really want to keep to the pledges of COP21, investment in a more sustainable energy system is a clear path to a concerted effort from this country to help put the brakes on climate change.</p>
<p>More extreme weather is something that we are going to have to approach in a multi-faceted way. While weather damage prevention is important, reducing green house gas emissions is key to addressing climate change.</p>
<p>We can all play our part and contribute to cleaning up the energy system and consuming energy more consciously. Triodos Renewables is delivering a growing volume of renewable energy, and we’re also identifying ways to contribute to the wider energy system through energy efficiency, demand side management and storage; all of which are jigsaw pieces in a more sustainable system.</p>
<p>With the last of the storms hopefully behind us for now, we need to continue to deliver the solutions, not wait for the next disaster to hit.</p>


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caton winter 2

We must focus on delivering the solutions to climate change. 

Can we afford to smash any more weather records?

<p>Early in 2015 we also welcomed 800 more shareholders bringing our community to over 5700, the £4.1m raised from both existing and new shareholders allowed us to complete the three construction projects and invest in another 6.9MW wind farm where construction is now underway.</p>
<h3>Triodos Renewables keeps on growing</h3>
<p>2015 was a great year for the expansion of our portfolio. We completed the construction of three new onshore wind projects, two based in Scotland  and the third located in East Anglia, where Triodos Renewables owns 75% of this 10 MW project. Us taking a part stake in this project filled a funding gap and allowed the landlord and developers to finish the project ahead of time.</p>
<p>The operational portfolio generated 18% more green electricity than ever before, generating enough to power the equivalent of more that 39,500 UK homes.</p>
<p>We also increased our presence at a number of sustainable energy events to broaden our network into new markets and technologies, as a response to recent political impact on wind and solar project pipeline and our interest in diversification.</p>
<h3>A successful year for shareholders</h3>
<p>This time last year, our eighth share issue was closed on 30 January 2015, with a private placement for a large shareholder completed in April 2015. We raised £4.1million which has been used to fund the year’s growth in projects. With a further 800 shareholders supporting the company, it feels like a year where both the importance and contribution of renewable energy is part of the nations growing consciousness.</p>
<p>We celebrated in style at our <a title="Twenty years of contributing to a cleaner planet" href="/latest-news/events/twenty-years-of-contributing-to-a-cleaner-planet/" data-id="1549">birthday themed AGM</a> on 19th June, which marked our 20th anniversary. Two decades is a long time in the UK renewables industry. We’ve seen a lot of change and huge achievements, with renewable technologies now no longer ‘alternative energy’ and generating more power than nuclear. It was great to share this achievement with our shareholders, some of whom have been with us from day one.</p>
<h3>Triodos Renewables in the community</h3>
<p>We supported a wide range of community engagement initiatives during 2015, both through established local benefit schemes and wider initiatives. Just a few of our achievements included more sustainable street lighting at Eye and LED Christmas lights at Doddington, near our <a title="Boardinghouse wind farm" href="/our-projects/boardinghouse-wind-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-id="1473">Boardinghouse wind farm</a> in Cambridgeshire. We also contributed to Ambition Lawrence Weston, a community driven social regeneration project near our Avonmouth wind farm.</p>
<p>Our second family open day at Avonmouth was a success in the summer, raising awareness of renewable energy and aiming to dispel common myths about wind power. We plan to roll out open days to other parts of the country to reach a wider audience and further engage with the communities around our projects.</p>
<p>For the inaugural open day in 2014 we commissioned the ExplorerDome renewable energy show. In 2015, we both used the show at the open day and took it into schools. Plus, our Avonmouth site was chosen for the filming of a <a title="Take a virtual field trip to our wind farm" href="/latest-news/news/take-a-virtual-field-trip-to-our-wind-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-id="1511">virtual field trip</a> as a resource for teachers all over the UK to supporting education and curriculum learning.</p>
<h3>The launch of the community benefit fund</h3>
<p>Extending this good work is our new <a title="Community benefit fund" href="/our-impact/community-benefit-programme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-id="1201">Community Benefit Fund</a>, which opened on 30 November 2015 to enhance specific local work already being done. It has nationwide coverage with initial focus close to our project sites, and involves a process in which communities can get free advice and apply for funding for sustainability measures.  The grants will make community buildings more sustainable and accessible to groups and individuals who rely on them.</p>
<p>The fund is being administered by the national charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy.  Although it has only been open for a couple of months, we have already had a lot of initial interest from communities up and down the UK, and we hope to do lots of good through this scheme in 2016.</p>


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While 2016 looks set to be an exciting and busy year for Triodos Renewables, we’d like to reflect on the year that has passed before we get too immersed in the future. 

2015 in brief: Triodos Renewables generated more energy than ever before

<p><span data-contrast="auto">The ban, first introduced by former PM David Cameron in 2015, meant an objection from just one person could stop a new onshore wind turbine from being built in England. It also meant that any new development had to be constructed in an area identified as suitable for onshore wind as part of the council’s local plan (footnote 54 in the National Planning Policy Framework) – a requirement which is not applied to any other infrastructure project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">But with many UK households feeling the effects of the ongoing energy and cost of living crises, the government has faced increasing pressure to ease these planning restrictions so that the country can start benefitting from cheaper, cleaner power.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="auto">What exactly has the government said?</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The government confirmed that it is streamlining planning permission for new onshore wind farms with immediate effect, claiming that the changes will allow ‘local areas [to] have a greater say in how onshore wind projects should be considered, ultimately resulting in electricity bill savings and increased national energy security’.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">According to the government website, ‘The measures include broadening the ways that suitable locations can be identified, including by communities, and speeding up the process of allocating sites by giving alternatives to the local plan process. This will ensure the whole community has a say, not just a small number of objectors – paving the way for more onshore wind projects to come online where they have community support.’</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>


<p><span data-contrast="auto">One issue with the government’s announcement is the continued lack of clarity around ‘community support’ and how they will be expected to demonstrate this. We have a robust planning process in place for all other infrastructure projects, whether it be housing, roads or other renewable energy technologies, that allow for and take into account community feedback. So why, for onshore wind, are we asking communities to proactively evidence that they’re in support of a project? </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The deviation in requirements suggests that there’s a presumption that the general public are against onshore wind. This is simply not the case – according to the government’s own figures, just 12% oppose a wind farm in their own community.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="auto">What does it mean moving forward?</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">While we await a secondary announcement in the Autumn, it looks like these changes will, at best, make it slightly less difficult to build new onshore windfarms in England.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">We know that onshore wind can generate cleaner, cheaper and homegrown electricity that helps keep household bills down, but the government is failing to treat it like any other infrastructure project. What we really want to see is a level playing field and a removal of footnote 54 from the National Planning Policy Framework. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The Ambition Community Energy (ACE) turbine in Bristol is proof that onshore wind is not only popular with communities but can have tangible economic and social benefits too. Profits from electricity sales from the 4.2 MW turbine will be reinvested back into the Lawrence Weston community, while the ACE team are also planning to set up an Energy Learning Zone, which will give local residents the opportunity to upskill and learn about green careers.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As proud funders of the ACE turbine, the only onshore wind farm to be built in England so far this year, we will continue working with people and businesses to make projects happen and promote the benefits of local generation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"><img decoding="async" src="/media/3035/thrive-open-day-2022-93.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7147ddec43c44afe8a30b278c737de44" /></span></p>


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wind-turbine-no-logo

Wind turbine NO LOGO

After a campaign from backbench MPs, the government announced that it is ‘loosening’ planning restrictions on onshore wind in England.

Has the UK really lifted the de facto ban on onshore wind in England?

<p>After 22 years, you can imagine how productive a life these blades have had – generating over 88 GWh of clean electricity and travelling just over eight million miles in total. That’s the equivalent to making a quarter of a million return journeys from Thrive’s office in Bristol to Sigurd in an electric vehicle!</p>
<p>The blades now need replacing in order to extend the operational life of Sigurd. In some instances, it’s possible to reuse blades when a whole turbine is decommissioned, which is the exercise we undertook when repowering our Caton Moor wind farm in Lancashire. However, when blades are calculated to reach the end of their life, reuse isn’t possible. This raises the question; how can we dispose of the blades in the most sustainable way?</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="/media/3032/sigurd-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1c6da748a29540e9b8ed3e0064b90c57" /></p>
<p>Although the blades from Sigurd can’t be reused for renewable energy generation, they can be repurposed. With the new rotor now fitted at Sigurd and the old blades taken off, we’re pleased to be working with <a href="https://www.reblade.co.uk/about-us">ReBlade</a> to repurpose as much of the blades as possible. They will be turned into useful items for businesses, councils and communities, which could include sustainable bike shelters, EV charging stations, or even bespoke dining tables.</p>


<p>Made primarily from fiberglass and other composite materials, wind turbine blades are difficult to recycle. ReBlade is the first UK company to decommission turbine blades without the use of landfill, pioneering innovative approaches to blade handling that enable circular end-destinations for blade waste.</p>


sigurd-1

Sigurd 1

The 22-year-old turbine blades that have reached end-of-life will be repurposed into furniture for councils, communities and businesses.

Turbines to tabletops - We're working with Reblade to reduce waste at our Sigurd wind farm

<p><span data-contrast="auto">In <a href="https://www.positive.news/society/how-uk-businesses-can-ramp-up-progress-on-the-sdgs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest article with Positive News UK,</a> you can find out how the UK is progressing in building a fair and sustainable future, and how businesses can make a tangible difference to people and planet. You can also find out more about how Thrive’s work supports the UN SDGs via our <a href="https://www.thriverenewables.co.uk/thriverenewablesimpactreport.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact Report here</a>.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto"><img decoding="async" src="/media/3030/sdg-flag-campaign-asset-twlifb.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/68f00bc69b6f42529e60f72abf554fed" /></span></p>


rooftop-solar-tr-olympus-power

Rooftop solar TR Olympus Power

For Global Goals Week, we discuss the role of businesses in protecting the planet and tackling poverty in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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