A Sunderland-based renewable energy developer has expanded, opening a new office in the south of England.

OnPath Energy has set up a new base at St John’s Innovation Centre, in Cambridge, as part of its drive towards becoming the UK’s leading renewable energy developer.

Having operated in the north of England and Scotland for the past two decades, OnPath Energy expanded south for the first time at the beginning of last year with the acquisition of the seven turbine Milton Keynes Wind Farm, in Buckinghamshire.

The company, whose headquarters is in Houghton le Spring, is now working to identify potential sites for onshore wind farms across the south of England, with a number of locations already being considered.

OnPath Energy has set up a new base at St John’s Innovation Centre, in Cambridge, as part of its drive towards becoming the UK’s leading renewable energy developer. Photo credit Edward King.

placeholder image — OnPath Energy has set up a new base at St John’s Innovation Centre, in Cambridge, as part of its drive towards becoming the UK’s leading renewable energy developer. Photo credit Edward King.

OnPath Energy has successfully built 14 onshore wind farms across the UK and is currently building three renewable energy projects in Scotland, Leeds and Rotherham.

Richard Dunkley, CEO of OnPath Energy, said: “Onshore wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s long-term energy security strategy and the reduction of our reliance on imported fossil fuels that are brought in from potentially unstable locations.

“With the removal of the effective decade-long ban on new onshore wind farms in England in 2024, we’ve been looking to widen our operational presence across the country and are working on bringing forward several new English projects .

“Establishing a presence in such a well-connected and economically vibrant area as Cambridge gives us a base from which we can continue to identify new onshore wind farm sites, which will enable us to deliver a wide range of economic, environmental, energy security, employment and social benefits to communities across the south of England.

"And most importantly, the new office will enable us to talk directly to those communities where we hope to be developing projects.”

Richard continued: “Our aim is invest around one billion pounds in total in clean energy projects by the end of the decade and to help support a just transition that is fair and inclusive for everyone including local communities and businesses, supported by our corporate commitment to making supply chain investments of £1 million per MW within 65km of each of its new onshore wind farm sites.”

Three jobs have been created so far, with more expected to follow as operations across the south expand.