Hidden away on a business park in West Swindon, one of the town’s biggest employers is quietly playing a major part in keeping the country’s lights on.
RWE, based at Windmill Hill, has been rooted in Swindon for a quarter of a century. Formerly known as Npower, the energy company now employs around 1,300 people at its UK headquarters, making it one of the town’s largest private-sector employers.
The firm is part of the wider RWE Group, a multinational energy company headquartered in Essen, Germany, with a history stretching back more than 125 years. While once known as a traditional utility business, RWE has shifted its focus in recent years and is now a major player in renewable energy and decarbonisation.
Operating across 30 countries in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region, RWE employs around 20,000 people worldwide. Its portfolio includes more than 40GW of installed capacity, spanning offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass and gas-fired power generation. The company has set out plans to exit coal by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Last week, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, Councillor Jim Robbins, visited the company’s Swindon headquarters, where he was shown around by Tom Glover, RWE’s UK Country Chair and Chair of the RWE UK Renewables Boards.
The visit gave the council leader an insight into how the Swindon-based team supports the National Grid and helps deliver some of the UK’s largest energy projects. It also came as RWE was confirmed as the biggest winner in the Government’s record-breaking Allocation Round 7 offshore wind auction, securing almost 7GW of capacity.
During the tour, Cllr Robbins was briefed on RWE’s role in supplying around 13 per cent of the UK’s total electricity demand. He was also shown plans for the Dogger Bank South offshore wind projects, which would see two developments each installing around 100 turbines in the North Sea. Once operational, the projects are expected to generate roughly 3GW of power – enough to supply electricity to around three million homes.
The visit also covered RWE’s work on hydrogen production and carbon capture projects across the UK, alongside a look at how teams in Swindon help monitor and manage more than 2,500 wind turbines across Europe, day and night.
Cllr Robbins said the scale of the work taking place in Swindon was striking.
“I’d like to thank Tom and his team at RWE for taking the time to show the work being done to meet net-zero targets and expand renewable energy,” he said. “Seeing the scale of RWE’s operations here in Swindon really brings home the role the company plays in supplying energy to the National Grid.
“Having a major international business embedded in our borough for 25 years is something we should be proud of. RWE’s investment in renewables, hydrogen and carbon capture shows how Swindon is contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future, while supporting high-quality jobs.”
He added that companies like RWE were central to Swindon’s economic ambitions.
“They are the backbone of a strong local economy. Through our Economic Development Plan, our focus on attracting investment and our intention to join the Thames Valley mayoral strategic authority, we want more businesses of this calibre choosing Swindon.”
Tom Glover said the visit highlighted the national importance of the work carried out in the town.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Councillor Robbins to our UK headquarters and to show how our Swindon-based team supports the future of the UK’s energy system,” he said. “The expertise here underpins projects right across the country and shows the impact work delivered from Swindon can have nationally.
“We are investing for the long term in secure, home-grown electricity and are proud of our Swindon roots. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the borough.”
