Opinions sought for 360-acre Welsh solar farm
Known as Glöyn Byw, or ‘Butterfly’, the solar array would be built on land to the south of Wrexham and have the potential to power more than 33,000 Welsh homes.
Should the RWE Renewables scheme reach completion, it would have an export energy capacity of 99.9MW, and could save 2.2m tonnes of CO2 compared to fossil fuel generation each year, according to the electricity producer.
Butterfly’s power generation would be equivalent to planting 36 million trees or taking half a million cars off the road a year.
Three sites have been earmarked to host solar panels, the Western Array, which would cover 54 acres, the Eastern Array would cover 133 acres, and the largest, the Central Array, spanning 173 acres.
As the site would have an electrical generating capacity of more than 10MW, it would be defined as a development of national significance.
The scheme roughly follows the B5426, encompassing large swathes of agricultural land between Johnstown and Bangor-on-Dee at its eastern edge.
In addition to the panels, battery storage units would be constructed to maximise the use of the power station. The storage units would balance the grid and improve reliability.
The scheme has promised to be sensitive to the countryside landscape. Credit: via planning documents.
A public consultation has officially been launched, and two in-person events have been arranged for:
- Friday 21 February 1-6pm at Marchwiel Village Hall
- Wednesday 26 February 1-6pm at Ruabon Village Hall
The consultation will close on 3 March 2025, with another round due later in the year. You can access the consultation at uk.rwe.com/project-proposals/butterfly-solar-farm/
Plans suggest the scheme would provide a £1.5m community benefit fund to support local community initiatives, incorporate more than three kilometres of public footpaths to the fields, and plant over 30 acres of wildflower meadows – living up to its Butterfly namesake.
Animals would be free to graze between the panels, creating multi-use land and retaining soil quality.
The solar farm would also pay Wrexham Council £4.4m in business rates over the 40-year life of the project.
RWE Group is the largest energy producer in Wales and has invested more than £3bn into the country since 2010.
