Blackfinch Energy, part of the Blackfinch Group, and leading energy transition utility ENGIE have signed a landmark renewable energy deal with Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation.
The five-year power purchase agreement (PPA) guarantees up to a third of Unite Students’ annual electricity from renewable energy.
Starting in October 2026, ENGIE will supply 28 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year of clean solar power from Blackfinch Energy’s largest solar project, Three Maids, located near Winchester, Hampshire to Unite Students. The student accommodation provider currently purchases 99.9% of its electricity from renewable sources and is targeting 100% as part of its RE100 commitment.
The PPA with Blackfinch Energy, which has a portfolio of over 70 installations across the UK, diversified across both wind and solar and secured against a variety of contract types, provides longer-term price certainty for both Blackfinch Energy and Unite Students and a strong link back to 100% renewable source of origin.
As part of securing the supply contract, ENGIE aligned Unite Students’ decarbonisation goals with Blackfinch’s Three Maids Solar Farm, marking the first step in delivering on those ambitions. ENGIE’s Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) partnerships aim to simplify the market, making asset-specific green supply products more accessible.
Sam Dickerson, Senior Commercial Portfolio Manager at Blackfinch Energy, commented: “This deal reflects our commitment to making reliable, renewable energy solutions that drive real progress on the decarbonisation of homes, businesses and communities across the UK. Securing long-term commercial contracts with industry leaders such as Engie helps demonstrate to our investors how we are protecting their capital and securing stable returns.”
James Tiernan, Head of Energy and Environment at Unite Students, said: “This agreement reinforces our commitment to sourcing all of our electricity from credible, renewable energy sources. We’re taking a proactive, sector leading approach to net zero and continue to look for ways to accelerate our transition both in operation and construction.”
Katrina Hillary, UK Energy and Renewables Originator at ENGIE said:
“We’re proud to act as a key partner in this landmark agreement, supporting Unite Students on their journey to net-zero. This partnership demonstrates how we can deliver innovative and tailored corporate PPA solutions through impactful partnerships that help organisations to achieve their decarbonisation objectives.”
Blackfinch Energy’s portfolio stands at 144 MW of installed capacity (operational, under construction and development) across over 70 individual installations and 21 project companies. Total generation capacity is approximately 224 Gigawatt-hours per annum.
ENDS
About Blackfinch Energy
Blackfinch Group is an award-winning investment specialist and trusted provider. Employing more than 150 full-time members of staff, it has a heritage dating back 30 years. The group provides tax-efficient investment solutions, managed portfolio services, early-stage investing, property financing and energy infrastructure investing. It is entrusted with over £900million in assets under management, as of September 2025.
Inspired by the work of Charles Darwin and founded on evolutionary principles, Blackfinch adapts to and evolves with customer requirements, helping others to thrive.
Blackfinch Energy is a leading investor in renewable energy and energy infrastructure projects. Its team oversees and operates power generation company Sedgwick Trading Ltd. Sedgwick owns and operates renewable energy sites across the UK, including Northern Ireland. All are based on ground-mount solar photovoltaics (PV), rooftop solar PV, and onshore wind. This ensures that all electricity generated is from sustainable energy sources.
Contact details
Email: j.shawcross@blackfinch.com
X: @BlackfinchGroup
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackfinch-group/
W: https://blackfinch.com/
About Unite Students
Unite Students is the UK’s largest owner, manager, and developer of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
With more than 150 properties in 23 leading university towns and cities, Unite Students is home to around 70,000 students, living predominantly in en-suite study bedrooms with rents covering bills, insurance, and 24-hour security.
Driven by a common purpose: to provide a ‘Home for Success’ to live, work and invest, Unite Students is committed to raising standards in the student accommodation sector with the support of over 60 university partners.
Founded in 1991 in Bristol, the Unite Group is an award-winning Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit Unite Group’s corporate website www.unitegroup.com or the Unite Students’ site www.unitestudents.com.
About ENGIE
ENGIE is a major player in the energy transition, whose purpose is to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. With 98,000 employees in 30 countries, the Group covers the entire energy value chain, from production to infrastructures and sales. ENGIE combines complementary activities: renewable electricity and green gas production, flexibility assets (notably batteries), gas and electricity transmission and distribution networks, local energy infrastructures (heating and cooling networks) and the supply of energy to individuals, local authorities and businesses. Every year, ENGIE invests more than €10 billion to drive forward the energy transition and achieve its net-zero carbon goal by 2045.
About ENGIE in the UK
In the UK, with 1,300 employees, ENGIE owns and operates a large portfolio of renewable and flexible storage assets, across electrons and molecules, including one of the largest pumped-storage hydro plants in Europe. Our JV company Ocean Winds is one of the largest offshore wind generators in Scotland with 1832 MW of operating capacity. We supply +17,000 business customers with electricity and gas and accompany them in their decarbonisation journey. Over its 20 years of operations in the UK, ENGIE has unlocked billions of pounds into the country’s energy transition.
ENGIE Financials
Turnover in 2024: €73.8 billion. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, Euronext 100, FTSE Euro 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, Euronext Vigeo Eiris – Europe 120 / France 20, MSCI EMU ESG screened, MSCI EUROPE ESG Universal Select, Stoxx Europe 600 ESG-X).
Press contact: Alanna.Rooney@engie.com
