Achairn wind farm started as a tentative idea in September 2003 and progressed all the way to construction five years later. James and Ronald Innes used the experience in their respective backgrounds, electrical and civil engineering, to pioneer the biggest change to the way their family farm will be run in generations. Spearheaded by James, a suitable site was identified and the arduous procedure to secure planning approval was rewarded with permission in March 2006. The three turbine 6 megawatt project became operational early in 2009 and generates enough power for 3,750 homes.

James Innes said, "Farming has changed and you have to move with the times to survive. We live in an age of diversification and although farming is in my blood, nostalgia doesn't pay. Ronald and I were convinced that we needed a strong financial institution with experience in the renewable sector to carry the project forward, and with a few options on the table we opted for the Ventus funds. The often tricky turbine and financial negotiations have gone smoother than we would have ever dared imagine and this is wholly due to the superb diligence of the Ventus team".

Over fifteen years ago, Neil Ewart, a sheep farmer in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, set out on the path to develop a wind farm on his family land. He endured a long and difficult planning process, but his perseverance paid off when he finally gained planning approval to construct a 10 megawatt project at Craig Farm.

Neil needed a partner to help with development and construction funding, as well as practical support. He chose to work with Ventus to complete his deal. The Ventus Funds have invested £2.8 million in Craig Wind Farm, with Neil Ewart and his family retaining a 50% stake in the wind farm company.

The wind farm is now operational and the electricity generated by the four turbines is equivalent to that consumed by approximately 4,500 homes.

Neil Ewart said, "I am delighted to have reached the point where the construction and operation of this wind farm has become a reality. After a planning process which took fifteen years it was very important to work with investment partners who could manage the negotiation of the key contracts and arrange competitively priced finance as part of an overall package. The Ventus Funds have been instrumental in making this happen".

The Ventus Funds believe there is considerable value in establishing early stage relationships with portfolio developers as well as independently owned sites. We are actively engaged in providing amounts of risk capital invested directly into a range of different technologies at the critical pre-planning stage. Our experience and detailed knowledge of the economics of renewable energy projects means that our investment team can appraise new opportunities quickly and efficiently. We have made early stage investments into well established companies, such as the wind experts EcoGen, Broadview Energy and Wind Power Renewable as well as land owners that have suitable sites, like the East Anglian based poultry farmer, Bernard Matthews.

"The Ventus Funds have been instrumental in the rapid development of our business. As a specialist small to medium sized developer, their combination of early stage capital funding and practical support in scoping and submitting our initial planning applications has been invaluable". Andy Hilton, Wind Power Renewables

As pressure increased on traditional agricultural revenues, Duncan Boughton, who farms at Ransonmoor in the Cambridgeshire Fens, searched for ways to diversify the use of his land and turned his attention to the potential of wind power. Planning consent for a three turbine development was granted in 2005 and shortly after, Duncan and his development partner EcoGen chose to work with Ventus.

The Investment Manager provided contract negotiation and technical expertise and co-ordinated the finance for the wind farm company, Fenpower. This included an investment of £1.3 million from Ventus in phase one of the project.

In late 2006, Fenpower secured planning permission to extend the site by a further two turbines, taking the total capacity to 10 megawatts. Ventus provided a further investment of £0.8 million for this second phase of the project. Both investments were structured to ensure Duncan Boughton and EcoGen maintained a significant ownership stake in Fenpower.

Phase one became operational early in 2007 and the two additional turbines became operational in 2008. The combined five turbine wind farm generates electricity equivalent to that consumed by approximately 5,600 homes.

Duncan Boughton said, "I was pleased that my family were able to work with EcoGen and Ventus on this pioneering way of wind farm development. As a hard pressed arable farmer the wind farm will provide much needed revenue for a generation and proves there is a real opportunity for farmers to become involved and increase their returns, other than by purely renting out land to the large power generators. From now on we have a new diversified crop; we shall be farming the wind".

Wind farm developer Alex Hensher formed A7 Energy in 2004 to develop small to medium sized sites. After locating a site at Greendykeside farm in North Lanarkshire, he began the task of turning his idea into reality. Alex secured a lease over the land and put together a successful planning application. With no prior experience of constructing a wind farm, Alex looked for an investment partner not only capable of investing the required capital into the venture but also able to support him in delivering the contracts necessary to start the build.

The Investment Manager linked up with Alex in 2005 and provided support to secure all the contracts necessary to deliver the wind farm as well as a £1.5 million investment from the Ventus Funds.

The investment was structured to ensure that Alex Hensher retained a substantial ownership stake in the Greendykeside wind farm company. The Investment Manager helped Alex to negotiate agreements for a bank loan, contracts with turbine suppliers and construction companies, as well as dealing with the power purchaser and the grid operator. The Investment Manager also provided ongoing support throughout the construction period to ensure that the project was completed on schedule.

This site at Greendykeside consists of two turbines and became operational in 2007. The electricity generated is equivalent to that consumed by approximately 2,200 homes.

Alex Hensher said, "The Investment Manager and the Ventus Funds have proved themselves to be a savvy investor who can take a view on project risks like placing an early wind turbine deposit to advance the wind farm to financial close in as short a time as possible".

"The Investment Manager efficiently managed all the capital needs of the project including equity, debt and mezzanine finance and took on the ongoing management of these funds, as well as chasing all the involved parties to get the deal done. This took the weight off our own shoulders so we could focus on getting planning consents on other wind farms".


The Ventus Funds are active investors in the small scale hydro electric market, providing funding at both the pre-planning and post consent stages. The Ventus Funds have invested in a range of low and high head schemes across the UK.

The small scale hydro market has significant potential for growth. The Ventus Funds have invested in the first tranche of five separate projects under development by the Oxfordshire based Small Hydro Company in conjunction with British Waterways, as well as a further four projects located in Scotland with joint venture partner Osspower. In aggregate these investments are equal to approximately 10 megawatts of generation.

Our investment management team has extensive experience of providing long term structured finance for such schemes by working with developers to identify the options to progress projects both commercially and financially.

"We wanted a credible investment partner who would play an active role in getting our business off the ground. As Climate Change Capital and the Ventus Funds have experience in the renewable energy sector and have demonstrated their ability to bring projects to fruition and be real team players, they were the natural choice of investment partner for our company". Sean Westrope, Chief Executive, The Small Hydro Company

"The Ventus team quickly showed a thorough understanding of the key issues and were able to structure an attractive package to share our costs up to planning. With their experience of arranging construction finance and long term financial investment, we will be able to concentrate our efforts on the task of constructing the schemes". David Lowes, Managing Director, Osspower