Proposed wind turbines could alter the skyline across Caerphilly county borough

Nicholas Thomas – Local Democracy Reporter

A proposed new wind farm could alter the skyline across Caerphilly county borough, according to new plans.

An application for 14 wind turbines above the Aber Valley could be completed by 2025 if the project is granted ‘Development of National Significance’ status.

Each turbine could have a maximum blade tip height of 200 metres, and the wind farm could provide 92.4MW of electricity, plans show.

Bute Energy, a Cardiff-based firm, is behind the plans, which could generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 81,000 homes a year.

The project forms part of Wales’ ambitious targets to ramp up renewable energy production by the year 2030.

A report by David Bell Planning shows around 56% of Wales’ electricity consumption came from renewables in 2020, and 51% in 2019 – far below the 70% target the Welsh Government hopes to achieve by the end of the current decade.

As of 2020, Caerphilly provided 2% of Wales’ renewable energy generation, while neighbouring Rhondda Cynon Taf contributed 7%.

Potential

While the turbines will contribute to boosting Wales’ renewables output, the wind farm will also bring “significant visual effects during both the construction and operational stages from some of the local communities within 6 kilometres of the proposed turbines”.

Properties within 2km of the proposed site have been assessed, with 14 homes or groups of properties judged to experience a “high” magnitude of change to their views, and 21 judged to experience a “medium” impact.

A further 12 homes or property groups are likely to experience a “low” or “barely susceptible” level of change.

If the project goes ahead, there is the potential for the wind farm to provide more power (equivalent to 81,000 homes) than there are households in Caerphilly county borough (a reported 76,300 homes), the planning statement notes.

David Bell Planning, on behalf of the applicant, also said the Twyn Hywel project would “make a valuable contribution to the attainment of the UK and Welsh Government policies of encouraging renewable energy developments”, as well as “generate economic benefits both during its development and construction and during its operation and maintenance”.

The application can be viewed on the Caerphilly County Borough Council website under reference 23/0427/DNS.