The UK’s most powerful windfarm opens in Wales

THE UK’S most powerful wind farm costing £50m to build opens in Wales on Thursday (June 16) to mixed reactions from opponents of wind farms and environmentalists.

The development on the mountain plateau of Cefn Croes, near Aberystwyth is the largest onshore wind farm in Wales with the capacity to generate enough energy to power 42,000 homes, equivalent to 20% of the onshore wind power generation in the country.

The 39 turbines range in height from 89m (294ft) to 100m (328ft).

The Cefn Croes wind development is one of nine wind farms in mid-Wales comprising 277 turbines leading many to dub the region “Europe’s wind farm capital”.

Falck Renewables, the Italian company behind the development, said the electricity produced by the turbines would save the equivalent of four million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions during its 25-year working life.

The company is planning another two sites comprising 180 121m (400ft) turbines split between Tregaron and Nant y Moch, both near Aberystwyth.

This would bring the total number of wind turbines in Wales to 575 across 22 sites.