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Wind Power News: Wales
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Replacement wind turbine will be erected near Croesgoch
A replacement wind turbine will be erected near Croesgoch although there were some objections from neighbours. Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee discussed an application submitted by Y Ddraig Goch Energy Limited for a 30 metre wind turbine with a blade tip height of 45 metres at Pensygwarne. Each of the three blades will be 15 metres long with a diameter of 30 metres and the turbine has a generating capacity of 225kW. Objections related to publicity for the application, its . . . Complete story »
Power failure during high winds caused giant £2million wind turbine to spin uncontrollably and collapse
A £2m wind turbine was knocked over by the wind after raging storms and 50mph gales made the blades on the 300ft rotary turn at twice their normal speed. The turbine, which was almost the height of St Paul’s Cathedral, was torn apart by the raging winds and eventually collapsed to the ground in February. Families in the nearby village of Gilfach Goch, South Wales, said the noise sounded like ‘thunder and lightning.’ An investigation, launched by manufacturer Nordex, found . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine toppled by too much wind; Gusts of 50mph brought 300ft structure crashing to the ground
A wind turbine nearly double the height of Nelson’s Column was toppled by too much wind after 50mph gusts caused it to “overspeed”, an investigation has found. The 300ft structure crashed to the ground with its blades completely snapped at the £20 million Pant y Wal wind farm in Gilfach Goch, near Bridgend. The incident prompted an urgent safety inquiry into the entire farm, as families living nearby described sounds of “thunder and lightning” before it fell on the morning . . . Complete story »
Huge 300ft turbine that crashed to the ground had spun too fast, investigation concludes
An in-built safety system designed to bring a wind turbine to a safe stop failed and ultimately led to its collapse at a Welsh valleys wind farm, it’s been confirmed. The Nordex-designed 300ft wind turbine crashed to the ground at Gilfach Goch in February this year becoming separated from its base and completely destroying its blades. Locals reported hearing loud noises coming from the Pant-y-Wal wind farm throughout the night of February 13 before waking up to see the turbine . . . Complete story »
‘Slow erosion of Cambrian Mountains is a tragedy’ says ex-Times editor
Former Times editor and author Sir Simon Jenkins has voiced his support for the Cambrian Mountains to be protected. Sir Simon has called the slow erosion of the beauty of the Cambrian Mountains ‘a tragedy’, and is supporting the campaign to have the area designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. He said: “The omission of the Cambrian Mountains from Welsh national park status in the 1960s was a tragic mistake, as the gradual erosion of the visual beauty of . . . Complete story »
Cambrian mountains ‘need protecting from windfarms’
Campaigners calling for the Cambrian Mountains to be designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty have raised concerns over windfarm developments in the area that they say “threaten the unspoilt natural beauty of the region.” Two applications are currently in the works for windfarms within the Cambrian mountains region in both the north and south, and the Cambrian Mountains Society (CMS) has warned that the plans will “not only desecrate the unspoilt natural views in the area, but will . . . Complete story »
Powys: two new wind farm plans revealed for near Llangurig
An energy provider has revealed plans for two more new wind farm projects in Powys. Welsh based Bute Energy has put forward two scoping requests, submitted to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, the body responsible for determining large scale energy projects in Wales, for two sites in Powys. The company is estimating that the two energy parks could generate up to 145 MW of electricity, which is equivalent of the annual electricity needs of over 125,000 homes. The first Banc Du . . . Complete story »
Plans for more offshore wind farms spark renewed calls for devolution of Crown Estate
Plaid Cymru has renewed calls for the Crown Estate to be devolved to Wales, following the announcement that the UK Treasury could earn £43bn in rents from proposed wind farms off the Welsh coast. The Crown Estate today announced plans to generate 4GW of electricity through floating winds farms off the coast of Wales, the tender for which will start in 2023. Research commissioned by the Crown Estate also suggests a further 20GW of floating offshore wind capacity could be . . . Complete story »
Crown Estate targets five areas off Welsh and Cornish coast for floating offshore wind schemes
Five areas in the sea off Cornwall and Wales have been mapped out for the development of floating offshore wind schemes, the Crown Estate said. The organisation has identified five broad “areas of search” for developing the innovative technology, which can be deployed in deeper water with higher wind than conventional offshore wind farms, to support efforts to tackle climate change. The areas are in the Celtic Sea, which the Crown Estate said was rich in natural resources including wind, . . . Complete story »
Wales won’t receive £43bn windfall from offshore windfarms, says Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru has renewed calls for the Crown Estate to be devolved to Wales, following the announcement that the UK Treasury could earn £43bn in rents from five newly planned wind farms off the coast of Wales. It comes after the Crown Estate announced plans to generate 4GW of electricity through floating winds farms off the coast of Wales, the tender for which will start in 2023. They say that this will create 29,000 jobs – but Plaid Cymru says . . . Complete story »
