Welsh govt approves 200-metre wind turbines
Nine turbines can now be installed on the boundary of Conwy and Denbighshire following the approval of RWE’s Alwen Forest proposals.
The Welsh government has given the nod to the project, which will see the local landscape close to the Alwen Reservoir in North Wales altered by the erection of the 200-metre turbines, which could produce enough electricity to power 70,600 homes.
With planning permission secured, RWE anticipates starting construction in 2027, subject to securing funding for the project.
The scheme would have a 30-year lifespan.
Martin Cole, RWE’s project manager leading on the development, said: “Consent for the Alwen Forest Wind Farm is a significant achievement and underscores RWE’s unwavering commitment to deliver sustainable energy solutions while prioritising environmental stewardship and community engagement.
“At every step, we have consulted widely, engaging with specialists, local communities and others with a stake in this decision, to ensure an inclusive approach while gathering an unprecedented wealth of environmental information about the site.
“As we move towards construction, we remain committed to transparency and will continue to keep the community informed, by sharing information on opportunities in the supply chain, local ownership and a community benefit package.”
RWE is working with Community Energy Wales to ensure the project benefits local residents.
Ben Ferguson, co-executive director at Community Energy Wales, said: “We’re delighted to see this project consented, after working towards a shared ownership opportunity with RWE throughout the development of the project.
“This investment opportunity will significantly increase the economic return to local communities over decades, a positive move forward in the relationship between the large renewable energy projects being developed to meet Net Zero, and the communities which host them.”
RWE is also working on plans for another nine turbines up to 200 metres tall on the border of Denbighshire and Gwynedd.
The firm has submitted an application for the 59MW onshore wind farm to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales for determination by Welsh ministers.
The scheme, capable of powering 52,600 homes, would be located on more than 400 acres off the A494 near Glan yr Afon and be operational for 35 years.
Fantastic news!
By Anonymous
Brilliant news, another step in ensuring that the UK has energy security. No more reliance on Russian gas and oil can only be a good thing.
By Anonymous
Horrible monstrosities. How the below poster thinks it’s fantastic news to turn our beautiful land into this is mind-boggling.
600 feet tall that will be turned off in high winds, you’re having a laugh.
By Anon
Only when the wind blows.
By Huw Rees
Brilliant this is what is needed
By Michael Potts
This is great news, and in the right location
By GetItBuilt!
@October 07, 2025 at 8:22 am
By Huw Rees
That’s why we have battery storage
By Rye
Why don’t we invest in the British wind technology being developed that’s less intrusive and not damaging to nature… Oh.. it’s about whose making money of this turbine stranglehold.
By Anonymous
it doesn’t need to be only when the wind blows if there is battery storage linked to these array’s. Our energy policy is disconnected !
By Clive Wire
Reform Snowflakes will need a safe space. How will their paymasters in Russia make any money if Britain becomes energy self-sustaining?!
By Anonymous
And not when the wind blows too hard
By Eco Realist
I’ve read the press release and browsed the comments, does anyone actually understand how wind energy is priced?
This is a German company, so profits flow out of the UK. As for local investment opportunities, let’s be honest, there are none.
If the wind doesn’t blow within the optimal range, turbines are shut down, and the UK taxpayer compensates the company for lost revenue. That’s not energy
independence; it’s a subsidy.
Even the number of homes powered is unclear i.e., is it 70,600, or is “could” just a convenient fudge factor?
We’re also adding another potentially unstable energy source to the local grid. And if the local infrastructure isn’t properly connected to the National Grid, excess energy is wasted, turbines are turned off, and again, we pay for it.
Can we please have a serious, evidence-based discussion about the realities of net zero?
By Steve5839
This is great! Years of hard work has gone into this project. People will always have something to complain about when it comes to something new. They don’t realise the number of positives we get from projects like these, as they’ve grown accustomed to fossil fuels, without realising the amount of harm it does to the planet and people. No energy source is perfect, but wind is a much better alternative.
By Anonymous
Intermittent short term energy source with a lifespan of 20 odd years & totally dependent on taxpayer subsidy. Power output claim is always at maximum power so when wind doesn’t blow hard enough or too hard when developers have to turn machines off & receive restraint payments they have to switch to gas power plants or import ⚡from the continent at great expense ! Meantime Renewables send our ⚡bills even higher & our beautiful Welsh landscape is ruined forever impairing tourism & destroying local communities who are saddled with devaluation of properties, mental health issues with vibration, noise, dust pollution & flicker!
By Edward
@Edward do you know this location?, if you did you’d know that its a windy location, hence why it was chosen. Wind turbines can be fully removed in the future if required, without leaving heavy pollutants as coal and nuclear plants would, so the landscape wouldn’t be forever ruined as you claim. These areas in North Wales are sparsely populated so there’s no effect on any immediate housing or peoples quality of life. Yes the whole energy system and private sector involvement needs to be investigated as it should be the government developing new energy sources and cutting out private company profit margins. The Green levies applied to bills are on par with other European countries, however our bills are so much higher because of the over reliance of gas. How do we reduce our reliance on gas? – we need to build more alternatives such as wind turbines, solar and hydro.
By GetItBuilt!