Gwynt y Mor - Bringing wind energy to Wales

Rumoured to be one of the biggest wind farms in Europe, let alone in Wales, Gwynt y Mor is destined to be a major task for RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke München (SWM - Munich Municipal Utility) and Siemens who have jointed forces to oversee its construction.

It is expected that the entire project will cost €2 billion, including the grid connection to the coast. Of the joint venture, RWE Innogy will hold a 60 percent while Stadtwerke München and Siemens take 30 and 10 percent respectively.

The 576MW wind farm will consist of 160 3.6MW Siemens SWT turbines and has an expected output of 1,950 GWh per year, enough to power 400,000 homes (40 percent of the homes in Wales). Construction is expected to begin next year with final commissioning occurring in 2014 - it is hoped that the wind farm will prevent the release of about 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

"Single biggest private investment projects (in Wales)"

Gwynt y Mor will be installed in Liverpool Bay, around 18km off the North Wales coast with the first foundations of the turbines being erected in late 2011. It will cover an area of 79 km2.

The wind farm's construction is expected to create more than a thousand jobs, as hundreds of long-term maintenance roles are needed. Not just that, but by next year, 1,000 construction jobs created at the Port of Mostyn where the giant windmills will be put together, with up to an estimated 250 permanent jobs to follow.

In a statement, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, said, "This is the first, of what I hope will be many, examples of how we can make the most of our island's huge renewable energy potential. I want to make sure we grab all the opportunities the rapidly expanding renewables industry has to offer, and that wind power can come of age under this government."

Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillian, concurred saying, "Gwynt y Mor will be one of the single biggest private investment projects ever seen in Wales, creating up to 1,000 quality jobs and contributing many millions of pounds to the regional economy of North Wales. It will also become one of the largest off-shore wind farm projects in Europe."

Gwynt y Môr is Welsh for "wind in the sea".

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