Greencoat UK Wind has a deep specialism in UK wind farm investment and operation resulting from our management expertise, exclusive focus on the technology and a long-term track record of success.
We pioneered the renewable investment trust sector as the first fund of its kind to list on the LSE main market, and the only fund in the sector to be domiciled in the UK. We have a proven operating track record, having increased our dividend for 12 consecutive years by at least RPI. To date, we have paid £1,2bn of dividends, and re-invested £1bn of excess cashflow back into the company.
We have strong, long-term relationships with developers and utilities in the UK and are deeply integrated into the country’s secondary market and development pipeline. This enables us to both source and price the most attractive investment opportunities.
Our core investment objective has remained unchanged since listing: to provide shareholders with an annual dividend that increases in line with RPI inflation, while preserving the capital value of the investment portfolio in real terms.
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£1.2 billion Delivering on our goals: To date, we have paid £1.2 billion in dividends and reinvested nearly £1 billion into the business through excess cash generated. |
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2% Key to the UK’s energy transition: UKW assets generate 2% of the UK’s electricity.1 |
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Operating at scale UKW’s scale affords its investors benefits in origination, asset management, financial optimisation and liquidity. |
1. We calculate this by taking our output over total UK electricity generation each year. In 2024 this was 5,484GWh (in Annual Report) over UK output of 292.7TWh, according to latest available statistics. 1.87% is rounded to 2%.
Our place in the market
Wind assets, both onshore and offshore, continue to be the most mature and widely deployed renewable energy technology in the UK.
In line with the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, wind capacity is expected to form the majority of new renewable energy capacity. As a result, the market in which we operate is expected to grow threefold by 2035.
We address a convergence of needs – a sustainable return profile for our investors, the provision of capital recycling for wind farm developers and the drive to decarbonise the UK’s electricity supply. Significant capital is required to deliver the net zero transition and we sit at the intersection of capital, opportunity and societal need.
Net zero goal
Net zero goal: The UK’s net zero goal of 2050 will be achieved through electrification and a clean grid. Wind energy provided 30% of UK electricity generation in 2024.1,2
Our pivotal role
In order to meet interim government targets for Clean Power 2030, we estimate the UK Wind market needs to grow from around £100bn of assets today to over £175bn of assets in 2030. We play a pivotal role towards meeting this through acquiring operational wind farms, which in turn allows developers and utilities to recycle capital to invest in new renewable energy projects.
Rising demand
As the country’s infrastructure systems and companies move to decarbonise, demand for clean energy will continue to rise, with heat pumps, EVs, data centres, industry and more all undergoing rapid transitions to electrification. According to the National Energy System Operator (NESO), electricity demand is forecast to grow by approximately 2 to 2.5 times by 2050 as the energy system transitions to support these changes.3
Bright future
The future is bright for renewable energy infrastructure, as the core ingredient for meeting electrical demand.
What makes us different
Our engineering team manages the operation of our assets, with over 1,400 individual turbines. Beyond investment, we have a deep knowledge of these assets: the technology that underpins them, how to manage them operationally, and how to maximise availability.”
Stephen Packwood
Partner
Delivering the UK’s net zero target requires ambition, expertise and significant deployment of capital. Before net zero targets had even been formalised, UKW was pioneering this space. Today, we continue supporting the UK Government’s commitment to delivering a clean grid by investing in wind capacity up and down the country.
Lucinda Riches CBE
Non-Executive Chair, Schroders Greencoat
We’ve built strong relationships across the sector, and we’ve bought from or invested alongside many of the UK’s largest developers. We have a wide view on the pipeline of assets and leverage our size to source the best opportunities, with many of our acquisitions being acquired outside of competitive processes.
Matt Ridley
Partner, Schroders Greencoat
