Work to protect great crested newts underway at offshore windfarm substation site

Work is underway at the proposed future site of the onshore substation for the Awel y Môr Offshore Wind Farm to protect a colony of rare great crested newts.

Great crested newts are a European protected species and the creatures, their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are all protected by law.

Fencing has been installed at the site to enable the project team to carry out one of its key duties of safeguarding the newts; as required under the project’s Development Consent Order and environmental laws.

Traps

Traps, known as pitfall traps, have been installed in hedgerows at the edge of the fields. These have subsequently been regularly checked, and any newts found then transferred to a separate habitat area created within the onshore substation site.

The work, which required a licence from Natural Resources Wales, was carried out by SLR and north Wales-based Enfys Ecology, as part of the offshore wind farm’s ongoing development.

Jo Pickard, Senior Consents Manager for RWE, said: “Projects like Awel y Môr are a key route to decarbonising the energy industry and combatting climate change, so ensuring we’re also safeguarding protected species like Great Crested Newts is something we take very seriously.

“Although newts will spend the coldest winter months hibernating, once they’re up and active, they like to hunt invertebrates in tussocky grassland, marshes and near ponds.

“By preparing a parcel of land within the proposed construction site to provide a suitable newt habitat, we can ensure our intended development activity has no long-term negative effect on this species.

“With the area now clear, we will be able to plan towards construction at a later date.”

Renewable power

Once complete, Awel y Môr will be Wales’ largest renewable energy investment this decade and will generate renewable power equivalent to the needs of more than half the homes in Wales.

The project will be located alongside the already operational 576-megawatt Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm off the north Wales coast.

Awel y Môr is expected to be operational before 2030 with a maximum of 50 turbines at a maximum height of 332 meters .

The development is being led by RWE on behalf of its project partners SWM and Siemens Financial Services.

RWE currently employs around 350 staff in Wales, spread between sites at Port of Mostyn, Dolgarrog, Baglan, Llandarcy and Pembroke.

In addition to offshore wind, RWE is also developing five wind projects onshore including the proposed 184MW Carnedd Wen Wind Farm, and also the Craig y Perthu solar farm near Newport.