Fred. Olsen Renewables, one of Scotland’s longest-standing renewable energy developers and a family-owned business with three decades of commitment to East Lothian, has been announced as sponsor of the Family Business of the Year category at the MELCC Business Awards.

Fred. Olsen Renewables is part of the Fred. Olsen & Co. group, a Norwegian family business with roots stretching six generations. In Scotland, the company is best known for Crystal Rig — its flagship wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills of East Lothian — which first began generating power in 2003 and now operates with 106 turbines, producing over 26MW of clean, green, renewable electricity, enough to power the equivalent of over 200,000 homes.

The company has spent over £920 million with Scottish businesses across its portfolio and has created 866 jobs in construction, operations, and maintenance in Scotland. In East Lothian, it has long prioritised local contractors and employees, embedding itself genuinely in the regional economy rather than operating at arm’s length.

Fred. Olsen Renewables was also a pioneer of community benefit funding in Scotland — voluntarily distributing funds to local communities long before it became standard practice. Across the lifespan of its Scottish wind farms, over £14.6 million will be distributed to local communities.

As sponsor of the Family Business of the Year category, Fred. Olsen Renewables brings its own family-business values to a category that recognises the unique character, resilience, and long-term thinking that family-owned businesses bring to the regional economy.

“We are proud to support the Family Business of the Year category because, as a family-owned business ourselves, we understand the long-term commitment, resilience, and sense of responsibility that often sit behind successful local enterprises. East Lothian has been central to our story for many years, and sponsoring this award is a meaningful way to recognise the businesses that help communities and local economies thrive.”
— Cris Thacker, Communications Manager, Fred. Olsen Renewables

Keith Barbour, President of the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce said:
“Fred. Olsen Renewables is a genuinely rare thing — a global business that has stayed deeply invested in East Lothian for over twenty years. Their support for the Family Business of the Year category perfectly reflects those shared values of commitment, community, and looking beyond the short term.”

About Fred. Olsen Renewables
Fred. Olsen Renewables is a developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy assets, primarily onshore wind farms, with operations in Scotland, Norway, and Sweden and Italy. Part of the family-owned Fred. Olsen & Co. has been active in the onshore wind sector since the mid-1990s and is one of Scotland’s most established renewable energy businesses. Its Crystal Rig Wind Farm in East Lothian is its flagship UK project.

For more information, visit: www.fredolsenrenewables.com