Dulas is very pleased to have worked with EDF Renewables on the pre-application planning stage for Garn Fach Wind Farm in Powys, Wales. EDF Renewables is working with fourteen local farming families in the area who own and manage the land.
The plan is for 17 turbines to be installed on the land. Each turbine would generate approximately 5 MW, with a tip height of up to 149.9 metres. With an installed capacity of around 85 MW, it is estimated that Garn Fach Wind Farm would meet the average annual domestic electricity requirements of up to 69,000 households.*
The Garn Fach Wind Farm would also support the Welsh Government to meet its target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The plans for a windfarm at Garn Fach were announced in January 2020. Since then, EDF have held two informal consultation exercises and gathered a lot of feedback from local communities. The number of turbines was reduced from 22 to 17 in response to that feedback. Dulas has been assisting with wind resource monitoring and environmental assessments.
Dulas’s Project Manager, Rachel Kennedy, says of the project:
“The pre-application stage is a lot of work to pull together. It’s really pleasing to see developers have confidence that grid connection constraints will be lifted in Wales. It’s the first application Dulas has worked on under the new Development of National Significance (DNS) system in Wales.”
The DNS process in Wales is designed to encourage the applicants on large infrastructure schemes, such as windfarms, to undertake early engagement and consultation with local stakeholders. Instead of the local planning authority making the decision, an independent inspector examines the application and makes a recommendation to the Welsh Minister based on planning merits and national priorities.
The next stage for Garn Fach Wind Farm will be for EDF Renewables to submit the formal planning application in Autumn 2021.
