our wind farms

Leading the way in renewable energy

The Co-operative Farms plays an integral part in our commitment to green energy. In 2005 we led the development of an eight-turbine wind farm on one of our farms at Coldham in Cambridgeshire. The joint venture with Scottish Power generates some 38.5 GWh per year – enough to power over 9,000 UK homes, and saving an estimated 36,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere each year.

This development helps to increase our diversity as a business, as we can continue to farm, and at the same time have an alternative income generated from the land.

In planning this development we worked closely with the local community and involved them from the outset, giving them direct input into all aspects of the scheme, and they were fully supportive of the development and proposed the site we are using. In 2008, The Group gained planning permission for a seven-turbine extension to Coldham, and we have now also been given the go ahead by East Riding Council to build 14 wind turbines on our farmland at Twin Rivers near Goole. On completion, the two farms should supply 15% of The Co-operative's electricity requirements.


More about how we are helping to combat climate change