25 years of Natural Power

Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, celebrates its 25th anniversary today (24th September 2020).

With a vision to create a better environment for future generations, Natural Power was founded by Stuart Hall and Ted Leeming in a tenement flat in Glasgow during 1995. Today, the business employs more than 400 staff across the globe, including 12 international offices from Seattle to Paris; its head office in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway; and a new office planned to open in Glasgow in the coming months. It has delivered projects in more than 50 countries, amounting to almost 215,000 MW of installed capacity – enough to potentially power more than 134 million homes annually.

Stephen Trotter, managing director, said: “As we look back on the last 25 years and think about the future of Natural Power, our mission, vision and values ensure that we, as a team, are ready. Ready for the future challenges of the renewables industry and ready for the opportunities that will present themselves in this ever-evolving market. While we embrace these new challenges, we honour the original beliefs that have inspired our success.

“It’s about making renewables the technology of the future, and continuing our quest to create a world powered by renewable energy.”

The past 25 years have seen Natural Power go on a journey from being a small band of passionate enthusiasts to a business of market-leading specialists that has grown to become one of the largest renewable energy service providers in the UK. And, its overseas teams are growing rapidly as it continues to explore and break new markets and technologies.

During the early days, Natural Power persevered with a number of challenges, and by 1997, with the introduction of the Renewables Obligation (RO) in England and Wales and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) in Scotland, there was a real shift in mentality with the UK becoming very pro-renewables. Natural Power was poised for the opportunity.

In 1999, Natural Power relocated from Glasgow to the Forrest Estate in Dumfries and Galloway where it could design and build its own eco office as a testament to its value proposition: here is an eco-office, with power from renewable sources, heat from ground source and water from underground aquifers. This is a company that lives and breathes green energy.

Speaking about the future of Natural Power, Stephen Trotter continued: “Our ambitions are to diversify further into solar, energy storage and offshore wind, and we are ambitious to expand our geographical reach through the work we are doing with the developing markets and international development banks.”

This pioneering spirit continues to drive the business forward. Indeed, it was the first company to consent a 50MW project under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, and then it consented the first two projects under Section 36. Today, the business continues to push the boundaries and continues to secure consent for, develop and manage some of the more innovative renewable energy projects of our time.