Insight

Powering together: how collaborative funding brought Kilbirnie wind turbine to life

6 July 2026

Thrive Renewables Plc

By Thrive Renewables

Just an hour South of Glasgow in Kilbirnie stands a 110 metre high wind turbine, owned by a local community group. The 2.5MW project has the capacity to generate enough clean electricity to power over 2,000 average Scottish homes and deliver over 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions reductions a year. But it delivers a lot more than just megawatts.

The landmark project is Scotland’s first community-owned development to operate commercially without long-term government subsidies. It is wholly owned by Attix CIC, a community interest company established by Radio City Association who are a local charity in Kilbirnie.

Now fully operational, all profits generated by the turbine go directly into Radio City’s programme of sustainable development projects to support people living in the Garnock Valley. This includes funding a new employment hub, training opportunities, improved transport links and upgrades to sports and recreational facilities. The charity also plans to expand its work tackling fuel poverty, including energy vouchers, electric blankets and one-to-one advice to help residents reduce bills.

The collaborative approach to funding the wind turbine provides a blueprint for financing the community-led energy transition from the ground up. The project brings together £5.6 million in blended finance – £1.6m in social investment from Social Investment Scotland and £4m from Community Energy Catalyst, a £40m facility managed by Thrive Renewables, in partnership with Better Society Capital. Local Energy Scotland supported the project through planning and design with a loan from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). The project has also received a combination of Great British Energy and Scottish Government grant funding via CARES.