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Ripple Energy making waves with new wind farm

March 29, 2021

Fuel Bank Foundation is partnering with Ripple Energy, the UK’s first ever clean energy ownership platform.

Ripple Energy has chosen Fuel Bank Foundation as its charitable partner for its new Graig Fatha wind farm, near Coedely, South Wales.

Set for completion in autumn this year, Graig Fatha will be the UK’s first consumer-owned wind farm, enabling households to own a share of the farm, from which they will receive affordable and clean electricity via the grid.

To date, 650 households have signed up to the scheme, contributing more than £1.3m. A further £1.8m loan has been agreed in principle from the Development Bank of Wales, with the Welsh Government providing £1.1m in funding to enable the construction of the wind farm.

Income generated from the Welsh Government’s supported portion of the wind farm will be channelled towards initiatives supporting people facing fuel poverty in the local area, through the wind farm’s Community Benefit Fund (CBF).

As Ripple’s local delivery partner, Fuel Bank Foundation will receive funding from CBF to provide support for people living in and around the Coedely area who are in fuel crisis.

We’re grateful to Ripple Energy for choosing Fuel Bank Foundation as a partner on this exciting project. Not only will the wind farm provide affordable renewable energy for its customers, it will generate income that can be reinvested in the community to support vulnerable families who are struggling to pay for gas and/or electricity.

Matthew Cole, Fuel Bank Foundation chair of trustees

Ripple has partnered with Co-op Energy, powered by Octopus Energy to get the electricity from the wind farm to its owners’ homes. Once the wind farm is operational, savings from their wind farm will be applied to their electricity bill.

This crowdfunded project is a superb example of linking Welsh communities with the renewable energy resource on their doorstep. The project will create a fund to help alleviate fuel poverty in the local area, and I’m very grateful for the Welsh Government support that has enabled Graig Fatha to proceed.

David Clubb, director, Graig Fatha Co-operative

Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, said: “Projects such as Graig Fatha, and the model of community ownership of energy schemes, play a crucial role in our move towards becoming a carbon net zero nation by 2050. It is also vitally important that renewable energy is not just environmentally friendly, but affordable – particularly as we look to tackle fuel poverty and do all we can to help households meet the cost of their energy bills.”