Its not a wind up (From Free Press Series)

Its not a wind up

A SECOND windfarm could be built on the mountains of north Torfaen. Mold-based company West Coast Energy Ltd is proposing to develop a windfarm on Twyn Du, the mountain between Garndiffaith and Abertillery.

An earlier planning application, from Pennant Wind Energy, to build a windfarm on land near Blaenavon is due to be determined by Blaenau Gwent council in January. This new scheme could mean up to 18, 100-metre-tall masts generating 20 megawatts of power which could serve 1500 houses per turbine. Most of the development would be within Torfaen with some in Blaenau Gwent.

West Coast sited a meteorological mast or anenomoeter on Twyn Du over a year ago. It measures wind speed and direction to assess if a windfarm would be cost effective.

Steve Molloy, project manager at West Coast Energy, said it was likely the company would submit a planning application to Torfaen council after the Pennant application was determined.

"If the other scheme goes ahead we would have to talk to the local authority to see if it would be overdeveloping the site to have a second windfarm," said Mr Molloy.

"If it doesn't go ahead we will see what we can do differently."

He said the company would put money into a community trust fund which would be used on local schemes should it get the go-ahead. West Coast Energy is currently building the biggest windfarm in England and Wales, the 38-turbine Cefn Croes development near Aberystwyth.

Abersychan community councillor Wayne Tomlinson said: "This is the first I've heard of this plan. I will look at the detailed plans with interest."

Pontnewydd borough councillor Brian Mawby backed the principle of inland windfarms.

"They are the future. We should be encouraging investment in wind power," he said.

"I don't regard them as a visual obscenity. I quite like looking at them."

The application comes in the wake of National Assembly directives stating that 10 per cent of electrical power should be produced by renewable energy sources by 2010. Current production is less than half that amount.