ONSHORE WIND
Delivering reliable renewable Welsh energy
Why onshore wind?
A key driver for the development of renewable energy generation projects is climate change.
We are at a critical point. The year-to-date (January–August 2024) global average temperature is the highest on record for this period and it is increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record[1].
In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency, and has since accepted the advice of the UK Committee on Climate Change to reach net zero by 2050. Gwynedd Council has declared a climate and nature emergency and aims to be a net zero council by 2030.
The Welsh Government has a target to deliver 100% of Welsh electricity consumption through renewable sources by 2035. In 2022, 59% of Wales’ annual electricity consumption came from renewable sources[2].
Demand for electricity is expected to rise, with electricity consumption in Wales projected to nearly triple by 2050 due to the electrification of heat and transport[3].
We aim to make a substantial contribution towards achieving these climate and emissions reductions targets through delivering Foel Fach Wind Farm.
Low Carbon
Advances in turbine technology enable the project to deliver significant environmental benefits from an ever-smaller footprint, by offsetting CO2 emissions from fossil fuel-based electricity production.
Lower Cost
Onshore wind energy is now the cheapest form of new power generation in the UK, helping to control consumers’ energy bills into the future. Increasing renewable electricity production domestically will reduce our reliance on imported energy supplies – that often come from unstable regimes – and this will stabilise and reduce costs over time.
Energy Security
Onshore wind has a key role to play in the UK’s energy mix.
Wind is a stable renewable resource, which is unaffected by supply issues associated with imported electricity. Additionally, with the potential incorporation of energy storage technology, the scheme may also be able to offer grid stabilisation services to the National Grid. This would ensure that communities and businesses across the region continue to receive a stable capacity, frequency and voltage of supply.
[1] Copernicus Climate Change Service. September 2024. https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-summer-2024-hottest-record-globally-and-europe
[2] Energy Generation in Wales 2023 https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-11/energy-generation-in-wales-2022.pdf
[3] Energy Systems Catapult 2023, Future Energy Grids for Wales (FEW) – Insights Report Issue 1.1.. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-07/future-energy-grids-for-wales-insights-report.pdf