A major wind farm developer today awarded two new multi-million pound contracts to local companies for work on its £400m Pen y Cymoedd wind energy project in south Wales.
The successful companies that will now help complete the wind farm, which is being developed by Vattenfall, are Neath- based Express Reinforcements and the Wrexham manufacturing facility of Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd.
Today’s announcements coincided with the laying of the first foundations for the 76 turbines for the project site in the county boroughs of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Prysmian Cables & Systems will produce the high-technology power cables to interconnect the two high voltage substations that ABB, the principal contractor, is constructing to connect the wind farm to the National Grid.
Express Reinforcements is sub-contracted by the 50-50 joint venture between Jones Bros and Balfour Beatty to work on the bases of the turbines.
Each of the turbines will have 3MW capacity and when operational in 2016/17 they are expected to annually generate power for the equivalent of 140,000 homes – enough to meet the domestic demands of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf county boroughs.
Since planning of the project began, the developer has worked to encourage as many local firms as possible to bid for contracts and sub contracts. The project could be worth up to £1 billion to the Welsh economy over its 25-year life time.
UK energy secretary Edward Davey said: “This onshore wind project will be the largest in England and Wales and will send a clear signal about this government’s commitment to the industry. It will add to our energy mix that is tackling climate change and boosting energy security through moves to increase ‘home-grown’ sources.”