Pennant Walters has announced the opening of pre-application consultations for its 20MW Trecelyn Wind Farm near Newbridge in Wales.
The Welsh outfit is proposing to develop up to four wind turbines on land to the east of Newbridge and Abercarn in Caerphilly. The machines have an indicative height of up to 145 metres and are estimated to be able to produce enough power for approximately 13,135 homes.
The latest consultations follow a previous round in March of this year, after which Pennant Walters removed one turbine from the proposals.
The site has been identified within a Pre-Assessed Area for onshore wind by the Welsh government in its ‘Future Wales’ document, which outlines how the country can meet its aspiration to achieve 100% of its energy consumption from renewable sources, as well as 1.5GW of green energy capacity being locally owned by 2035.
The developer is hosting two public exhibitions for the local communities to find out more about the proposals.
The first is at Llanfach Village Hall, Twyn Road, Abercarn NP11 5LB on Thursday 30 November from 2pm-7pm.
The second is at Newbridge Memo, High Street, Newbridge NP11 4FH on Friday 1 December from 2pm-7pm.
“Trecelyn Wind Farm has the potential to play a significant role in supporting the Welsh Government’s pursuit of 100% renewable energy sources to combat climate change, as well as offering benefits to the local community,” said Pennant Walters director of environment and sustainability Meryl Lewis.
“We have a longstanding commitment to involve the local community from the outset of our projects. We are looking forward to engaging in discussions about our proposals at the local level and aim to incorporate community feedback wherever possible.
“We are also interested in exploring ways to bring about local benefits to the area. This includes establishing a community benefit fund, promoting shared ownership, and supporting the local supply chain.
“As a locally-owned Welsh company, this project will embody a ‘locally owned’ ethos. We are actively exploring opportunities for increased shared ownership and community involvement, in line with the goals set by the Welsh government.
“As a company, we have a history of establishing community funds for all our wind farm projects, directing investments into the surrounding local communities. To date, approximately £5 million has been distributed to qualifying initiatives in South Wales.”
You can find out more information about the project and how to get involved with this stage of consultation at www.trecelyn-windfarm.co.uk and the deadline for comments is 22 December 2023.
