PVTIME – SmartestEnergy has signed a power purchase agreement for the 57MW Whitelaw Brae onshore wind farm, which is located in the Scottish Borders. The project is being developed by Fair Play Clean Energy Limited, a joint venture between Thrive Renewables and TopCashback Group Ltd, and comprises 14 wind turbines. The project secured an allocation under the UK Contract for Difference scheme in Round 7 of the allocation process.
The site is on track to be energised before the end of 2026. Upon completion, it will be Thrive Renewables’ first transmission-connected wind development and its largest operational onshore wind asset. The facility is expected to generate 149,400MWh of renewable electricity annually, which is enough to supply around 45,000 UK homes and deliver meaningful carbon emission reductions.
The agreement extends the existing working relationship between SmartestEnergy and Thrive Renewables. SmartestEnergy will provide market offtake services for the project’s power output, building on its experience of supporting independent renewable generators across Great Britain. The financial terms of the PPA have not been disclosed by the parties.
Such offtake arrangements reduce revenue risk for renewable developers and facilitate the orderly connection of new generation to the national electricity system. The delivery of further onshore wind capacity in Scotland will contribute to national decarbonisation targets and the expansion of the UK’s variable renewable energy portfolio more broadly.
