Welsh Government's renewables venture wants to build wind farm in North Wales forest

North Wales Live

5 days ago

The Welsh Government owned renewable energy developer Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru wants to build a new wind farm at a forest site in North Wales. The organisation has announced proposals for three new wind farms in Wales with the potential to generate up to 400 MW of electricity.
They say this would be enough to power 350,000 Welsh homes' annual average electricity needs. That is around a quarter of the homes in Wales.
It is the first project announcement since Trydan's launch in 2024 and the government said it will help meet the growing need for clean energy in Wales with electricity demand projected to nearly triple by 2050.
Trydan is wholly owned by Welsh Government which defines its remit, and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, has oversight of activities. Trydan's ambition is to develop 1 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity on Welsh public land by 2040.
All profits generated would be reinvested in Welsh communities and public services. The wind farms will be developed on the Welsh Government's woodland estate, which covers 126,000 hectares - 6% of Wales' total land area - and contains some of the country's best potential sites for renewable energy generation.
The first three proposed sites are:
Clocaenog Dau Wind Farm, Denbighshire/Conwy (up to 132 MW)
Glyn Cothi Wind Farm, Carmarthenshire (up to 162 MW)
Carreg Wen Wind Farm, Rhondda Cynon Taf (up to 108 MW)
In North Wales this would - subject to planning - mean another wind farm at Clocaenog forest, where there is an existing 96MW site owned by RWE. Up to 22 wind turbines would be built, generating enough energy for the equivalent of 117,500 Welsh homes. This scheme would generate 200 construction jobs.
Constructing the sites will cost around £500m and in total 67, 6MW wind turbines will be built across the three sites, if approved. The turbines are expected to be around 200m tall.
Trydan said these three sites would mean 650 construction jobs over a period of up to two years, and up to 40 direct and 55 indirect jobs over 35 years.
The plan is for consultation events to take place before planning permission is submitted by mid-2027. Construction, if planning permission is granted, will likely begin in the early 2030s, with energy likely to be generated from 2035.
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans said: 'These proposals demonstrate our commitment to harnessing Wales' abundant natural resources to generate clean energy while ensuring the benefits are felt locally. By developing these projects on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, we're making best use of our public land to tackle the climate emergency and create sustainable economic opportunities."
More renewable energy projects are in development and will be announced later this year.
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru's Chief Executive, Richard Evans, said: 'With Trydan driving development, and with the profits from this investment retained in Wales, we have a unique opportunity to optimise the projects and the multiple benefits they bring. In parts of Wales suitable for infrastructure installations, and across Wales, working with delivery partners, we will create and support quality, direct and indirect jobs in the renewable energy sector and supply chains, and contribute to skills initiatives. Communities will be involved and funding will support local priorities.'
'As a Wales-wide developer, we can commit to nation-wide, strategic programmes, such as habitat management and restoration, and we look forward to working with stakeholders to define ambitious, long-term enhancements.'