Communities asked to have their say on Welsh Government-owned wind farm
Anthony Lewis Local Democracy Reporter
People can now have their say on plans for a new wind farm in the valleys with 18 turbines that could power 96,000 homes.
Carreg Wen wind farm is being planned in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) by the Welsh Government-owned renewable energy company Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru.
And the people of Aberdare, Maerdy, Cwmaman, and surrounding areas are being invited to attend consultation events.
The project would be located primarily on the Welsh Government-owned woodland estate of St Gwynno Forest around 2km south of Aberdare and north of Maerdy and Ferndale within RCT.
The early proposal consists of up to 18 turbines delivering up to 108 MW (MegaWatts) of electricity, which is enough to power 96,000 Welsh homes.
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru
The project is one of three wind schemes announced by Trydan in July 2025. Between them the three projects could generate enough clean energy to power around 25% of Welsh homes.
A digital modelling tool will be available for people to see how the proposed wind farm would look from local postcodes and different elevations and project team members will be on hand to chat to local residents and to hear their views.
The drop-in events will be held this month in: Cwmaman Primary school on Tuesday, October 21, from 3.15pm to 6.15pm, Ferndale Youth Club on Wednesday, October 22, from 2pm-7pm and the Sobell Leisure Centre in Aberdare on Saturday, October 25, from 9am-2pm.
Idea-sharing
Carreg Wen project manager Mark Roberts said: “This is a very good site for a wind farm with good wind resource and in an area that already supports wind energy with the adjacent operational Mynydd Bwlffa and Maerdy Wind Farms.
“I’m looking forward to getting out and about to meet people locally to share ideas on how we can make this the best possible project for Rhondda Cynon Taf and for Wales.”
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru says these proposals would make a “sizeable contribution” to the Welsh Government’s net zero and clean energy targets.
The Welsh Government’s current targets are for 100% of Wales’ electricity to come from renewable sources by 2035 and to be net zero by 2050.
For those unable to attend the in person events the online exhibition will be available to view from October 21.
The deadline for people to send their feedback to the first round of consultation is Tuesday, November 18.
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If they’re public, and properly audited, they should avoid having to pay money to politicians or their friends / families, but then this is the reason they won’t happen.
Another example of how Labour have lost with the people of the valleys. People want cheaper electricity not this so called ‘clean’ energy that is destroying the countryside. This project may please the urban tofu munching middle classes but here people want better housing, jobs, cheaper energy prices, and a better NHS.
uh, it’s cheap, it’s literally much cheaper than coal, oil, nuclear and somewhat cheaper than solar and hydro (at least within 30 years).
As for ‘destroying the countryside’ the Gywnno Forest is 90% plantation, it’s industrial not ‘country side’, same goes for the farm land.
As far as I’m concerned, they can build the turbines (it’s in my backyard), but I expect every resident on the electoral roll (in Aberdare, Maerdy and Cwmaman) to get a dividend payment each year.
In your dreams.
The reason electricity is too expensive today is Thatcher’s dash for gas hooked us on Putin’s gas. The reason we pay even more than most of Europe is that we can’t store it so have to pay top dollar rather than stocking up when prices are lower. Even if we dig it up ourselves the global price is still influenced by Russia because they have a quarter of the world’s gas reserves which is why they started a war and are funding the culture wars, to slow down the global transition away from gas because their economy is dependent on… Read more »
We can’t store gas because David Cameron allowed an existing major North Sea underground gas storage reservoir to be abandoned. ” we don’t need it “…..
Sheep, forestry, farming and shooting do more harm to the countryside.
may be you should petition for a Drax up there.
Forests felled in America and Canada. The trees “chipped”, then made into pellets. The pellets then transported to sea ports in North America and the Gulf of Mexico, sorry, America. Don’t want to upset the Donald. These shiploads of pellets then cross the Atlantic to be burned in Drax. Probably the power station that has received more UK Government grants than any other UK electricity provider.
It must surely be better to have a Welsh owned energy producer, rather than a tranche of foreign investors. Over time, we need to expand our national energy projects that actually benefit the people of Wales.
Very true. Most of the wind and solar farm would-be developers are connected to foreign property companies and Hedge Funds, etc. These are the types of organisations who invest, harvest, and when things don’t appear such a good deal, put the companies into liquidation, and leave “others” to clean up the mess. It’s a bit like the soon to be UK’s largest, and still growing swimming pool located just up the road at Dowlais Top.
Typical out of touch Labour
They are a disgrace and embarrassment
What sort of idiots are voting for these incompetent fools