Renewable energy in Wales

Last updated
Wind farm at Llanbabo, Anglesey Tyrbinau Gwynt - Wind Turbines - geograph.org.uk - 733306.jpg
Wind farm at Llanbabo, Anglesey

In 2019, Wales generated 27% of its electricity consumption as renewable electricity, an increase from 19% in 2014. The Welsh Government set a target of 70% by 2030. In 2019, Wales was a net exporter of electricity. It produced 27.9 TWh of electricity while only consuming 14.7 TWh. [1] The natural resource base for renewable energy is high by European standards, with the core sources being wind, wave, and tidal. Wales has a long history of renewable energy: in the 1880s, the first house in Wales with electric lighting powered from its own hydro-electric power station was in Plas Tan y Bwlch, Gwynedd. In 1963, the Ffestiniog Power Station was constructed, providing a large scale generation of hydroelectricity, and in November 1973, the Centre for Alternative Technology was opened in Machynlleth.

Contents

Government policy

In April 2019, a Climate Emergency was declared by the Welsh Government, [2] and on 1 May the Senedd became the first parliament in the world to pass a climate emergency declaration. [3]

Current Welsh Government policy advocates for an increase in the percentage that renewable energy accounts for in Wales' energy sector, launching projects such as 'Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales' to achieve this goal. 'The Climate Change Strategy for Wales' describes how the government will decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The reports suggest that energy generation from renewable sources is key to achieving a low carbon economy. [4]

The Welsh Government expects that all new energy projects should have an element of local ownership and this was the case for 825 MW of installed renewable energy capacity in 2019. [5]

In 2016, the low carbon economy was estimated to consist of 9,000 businesses, employing 13,000 people and generating a £2.4 billion turnover. [5]

By principal area

Percentage of electricity consumption which from local renewables in 2019 (5 highest):

Hydropower

List of hydropower stations

List of active hydropower stations in order of energy output:

Dinorwig Power Station Dinorwig pumped hydro Power Station at Slate Quarry near Llanberis (21260711794).jpg
Dinorwig Power Station
Dolgarrog Hydroelectric power station Dolgarrog power station.jpg
Dolgarrog Hydroelectric power station
Ffestiniog Hydroelectric power station Ffestiniogpowerstation.jpg
Ffestiniog Hydroelectric power station
NameLocationCoordinatesOutput (MW)Notes
Dinorwig Power Station Gwynedd 53°7′7″N4°6′50″W / 53.11861°N 4.11389°W / 53.11861; -4.11389 (Dinorwig Power Station) 1728(pumped storage)
Radyr Hydro Scheme Cardiff 51°31'9.79"N 3°15'13.50"W0.394Hydro (River Weir Screw turbines)
Ffestiniog Power Station Gwynedd 52°58′51″N3°58′8″W / 52.98083°N 3.96889°W / 52.98083; -3.96889 (Ffestiniog Power Station) 360(pumped storage)
Rheidol Power Station Ceredigion 52°23′46″N3°54′00″W / 52.39611°N 3.90000°W / 52.39611; -3.90000 (Rheidol Power Station) 49
Maentwrog power station [6] Gwynedd 52°56'10"N 4°00'15"W30commissioned 1928, refitted 1988-92
Dolgarrog power station Conwy County Borough 53°11'28"N 3°50'33"W28commissioned 1907 operational 2020
Cwm Dyli hydro power station [6] Gwynedd 10commissioned 1906 operational
River Tawe Barrage Swansea 51°36′58″N3°55′44″W / 51.61611°N 3.92889°W / 51.61611; -3.92889 (Swansea Bay barrage) 0.2

In 2019, there were 363 hydroelectric projects in Wales, with the capacity of 182MW, annually generating over 347 GWh. [7] :17 Since 2014 Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have enabled developers and small community groups to build 15 small scale hydro schemes in Wales, which can produce 1300kW of energy annually. NRW have also finished building the 17kW Garwnant small scale hydro scheme in 2017. [8]

Dinorwig Power Station, which lies on the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park, was fully commissioned in 1984. It has six generators placed inside Europe's largest man-made cavern, deep inside the Elidir mountain. Maximum electricity generation is achieved in less than 16 seconds, and is the largest quick response hydropower plant in Europe. [9] The scheme supplies a maximum power of 1,728-megawatt (2,317,000 hp) and has a storage capacity of approximately 9.1 GWh (33 TJ). [10]

The Rheidol hydropower plant is the largest hydropowerplant of its kind in Wales. It has generated renewable energy since 1962, using rainfall from the nearby mountains. The plant includes a combination of reservoirs, dams, pipelines, aqueducts and power stations, over 162 square kilometres producing around 85 GWh annually which can power around 12,350 homes. [11] The Ffestiniog power station opened in Gwynedd in 1963 and produces 360 MW. [12]

Tidal power

Wales has a vast untapped potential for tidal poser. Gerallt Llewelyn Jones of social enterprise Menter Môn said, “We have strong tidal resources around Wales and they have huge potential.” He added that tidal power is more predictable than wind and solar power. The tidal range round the west coast of Britain is one of the largest in the world. [13]

Swansea tidal lagoon

In 2015 the idea was raised the UK government to fund a £1 billion development of a sea wall around Swansea Bay to harness the power of the tide. The power generated could provide energy for 120,000 homes for 120 years. Other sites mooted were Cardiff Bay, Newport and Colwyn Bay. [14] In June 2018 the UK government abandoned their support for the scheme, saying other forms of energy generation were cheaper. The decision was condemned by the green energy industry, environmental groups, the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru. [15]

In January 2023, plans of a new Swansea tidal lagoon project called "Blue Eden" emerged but this time the multi-billion pound project would be fully funded by the private sector. Phase SA1 of the project is said to include an electric battery manufacturing plant, battery storage facility, a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay with a floating solar farm, data storage centre, a green hydrogen production facility, an oceanic and climate change research centre, and hundreds of waterfront homes. Claimed it would be a worldwide first, the project could start within 18 months but would take more than a decade to complete. [16]

North Wales Tidal Lagoon

The North Wales Tidal Lagoon project is a proposal to build lagoons with large sea walls and turbines powered by rising and falling tides, it could power 180,000 homes. The proposed North Wales Tidal Lagoon would involve a sea wall over 19 miles (31 km) long from Llandudno to Prestatyn. Supporters say the £7bn project could power more than over a million homes and create more than 20,000 jobs. [13] Denbighshire County Council unanimously voted to back the scheme in February 2023, claiming it would support 5000 construction jobs. [17]

Morlais tidal stream

The Morlais tidal stream project is set to cover 35km2 of the Irish Sea on the west coast of Anglesey (Ynys Môn). It is hoped that investors and developers will build early-scale tidal energy projects which could deliver a combined 120MW of renewable clean energy. In 2022, £31million was secured for the first phase of construction from the EU's European Regional Development fund via the Welsh Government, which is likely to be the last large grant Wales receives from the EU. Jones Bros Civil Engineering has been given a £23.5m contract to build onshore infrastructure and Magallanes Tidal Energy has secured a guaranteed price for the energy it produces. The Government has agreed a £178.54 per MWh price via the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. [18] [19]

Wind power

NameLocationCoordinatesOutputNotes
Alltwalis Wind Farm [6] Carmarthenshire 51°58′24″N4°15′3″W / 51.97333°N 4.25083°W / 51.97333; -4.25083 (Alltwalis Wind Farm) 23 MW
Brechfa Forest Wind Farm Gwernogle, Carmarthenshire 90 MW
Carno wind farm Carno, Powys, Mid Wales 52°33′1″N3°36′1″W / 52.55028°N 3.60028°W / 52.55028; -3.60028 (Carno wind farm) 49 MW
Cefn Croes wind farm Ceredigion 52°24′18″N3°45′03″W / 52.40500°N 3.75083°W / 52.40500; -3.75083 (Cefn Croes) 58.5 MW
Moel Maelogen Conwy 53°08′07″N3°43′25″W / 53.13528°N 3.72361°W / 53.13528; -3.72361 (Moel Maelogen) 14.3 MW
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm Liverpool Bay 53°26′N3°24′W / 53.433°N 3.400°W / 53.433; -3.400 (North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm) 60 MW
Pen y Cymoedd Neath 51°41′01″N03°41′01″W / 51.68361°N 3.68361°W / 51.68361; -3.68361 (Pen y Cymoedd wind farm) 228 MW
Rhyd-y-Groes Anglesey 7 MW
Rhyl Flats Liverpool Bay 53°22′N03°39′W / 53.367°N 3.650°W / 53.367; -3.650 (Rhyl Flats) 90 MW
Gwynt y Môr Irish Sea 53°27′N03°35′W / 53.450°N 3.583°W / 53.450; -3.583 (Gwynt y Môr) 576 MW(consent granted 2008, construction began 2011)

Offshore wind

Gwynt y Mor windfarm: the fifth largest operating offshore windfarm in the world Gwynt y Mor wind farm from Rhiwledyn - Clust y Fuwch - Little Orm, Wales (cropped).jpg
Gwynt y Môr windfarm: the fifth largest operating offshore windfarm in the world

In 2021, three offshore wind farms off the north coast had a capacity of 726 MW: Rhyl Flats and North Hoyle have a capacity of 150 MW, and Gwynt y Môr was commissioned in 2015 and in 2019 had a capacity of 576 MW with 160 turbines, making it the fifth largest operating offshore windfarm in the world. [20]

Blue Gem Wind, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Simply Blue Energy, is a Celtic Sea project developer that has secured rights to develop Wales’ first floating offshore wind farm, located 45 km south of the Pembrokeshire Coast. This will be Wales' first floating wind farm and could start generating electricity by 2027. [21]

Onshore wind

One of the main problems facing developers in Wales are peat bogs, a naturally-occurring carbon sink. Ornithological issues, especially in ecologically rich sites can also increase developing costs. Some of the main terrestrial wind energy farms include:

Clocaenog Forest wind farm, from Llyn Brenig Windmills, East of Llyn Brenig walking North. Brenig Lake was build to supply Liverpool with Welsh water. 12 (cropped).jpg
Clocaenog Forest wind farm, from Llyn Brenig

In 2019, the capacity was 1.25 GW, according to the Welsh Government, which was an increase of 12% from the previous year. Neath Port Talbot, with its 230 MW capacity in 2019 was the highest in Wales. [5] Onshore wind is relatively strong in Wales, due to its mountainous and coastal nature.[ citation needed ]

Solar PV

Installing solar panels in Flat Holm Flat Holm PV solar array near Farmhouse.JPG
Installing solar panels in Flat Holm

Solar PV (for electricity) and thermal panels (for hot water) are used throughout the country, for both domestic and non-domestic use. From 2012, roof-mounted solar panels above 50 kW needed full planning permission; anything below that fell under 'permitted rights'. [4]

Nearly 20% of Wales' total solar power (989 MW) is generated in Pembrokeshire. In 2019, 26% of the national, total capacity solar PV in Wales was locally owned.[ citation needed ]

Welsh ministers have approved a 32MW solar farm project near Abergavenny and construction is expected to start in 2024. [22]

Heat pumps

In 2019, the total capacity from water, air and ground source heat pumps totalled 86 MW, from 7,817 projects. [5] Most of these were domestic installations, and around 80% were air source heat pumps.[ citation needed ]

See also

National

Global

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in the United Kingdom</span>

The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Australia</span> Renewable energy source (Australia)

Wind power, a form of renewable energy harnessed through wind turbines, stands as a pivotal contributor to Australia's energy landscape. With a total installed wind capacity reaching approximately 9,100 megawatts (MW) as of October 2023, wind power constitutes a significant portion, representing 5% of Australia's total primary energy supply and a substantial 35% of its renewable energy supply. Australia's geographic disposition favours the proliferation of wind energy infrastructure, particularly in the southern regions of the nation and along the slopes of the Great Dividing Range in the east. Approximately half of Australia's wind farms are located near coastal regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Scotland</span>

The production of renewable energy in Scotland is a topic that came to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewable energy is high by European, and even global standards, with the most important potential sources being wind, wave, and tide. Renewables generate almost all of Scotland's electricity, mostly from the country's wind power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in South Australia</span> South Australian use of wind turbines to generate electricity

Wind power became a significant energy source within South Australia over the first two decades of the 21st century. In 2015, there was an installed capacity of 1,475 MW, which accounted for 34% of electricity production in the state. This accounted for 35% of Australia's installed wind power capacity. In 2021, there was an installed capacity of 2052.95 MW, which accounted for 42.1% of the electricity production in the state in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Europe</span> Overview of wind power in Europe

As of 2023, Europe had a total installed wind capacity of 255 gigawatts (GW). In 2017, a total of 15,680 MW of wind power was installed, representing 55% of all new power capacity, and the wind power generated 336 TWh of electricity, enough to supply 11.6% of the EU's electricity consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in India</span>

Wind power generation capacity in India has significantly increased in recent years. As of 31 March 2024, the total installed wind power capacity was 45.887 gigawatts (GW). India has the fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. Wind power capacity is mainly spread across the southern, western, and northwestern states. The onshore wind power potential of India was assessed at 132 GW with minimum 32% CUF at 120 m above the local ground level (agl). Whereas, the estimated potential at minimum 25% CUF is 695 GW at 120 agl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Scotland</span>

Wind power is the fastest-growing renewable energy technology in Scotland, with 11,482 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity by Q1 2023. This included 9,316 MW from onshore wind in Scotland and 2,166 MW of offshore wind generators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in the United Kingdom</span>

Renewable energy in the United Kingdom contributes to production for electricity, heat, and transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Turkey</span>

Wind power generates about 10% of Turkey's electricity, mainly in the west in the Aegean and Marmara regions, and is gradually becoming a larger share of renewable energy in the country. As of 2024, Turkey has 12 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbines. The Energy Ministry plans to have almost 30 GW by 2035, including 5 GW offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in New Zealand</span> Overview of wind power in New Zealand

Wind power constitutes a small but growing proportion of New Zealand's electricity. As of December 2020, wind power accounts for 690 MW of installed capacity and over 5 percent of electricity generated in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitelee Wind Farm</span> Wind farm in East Ayrshire, Scotland

Whitelee Wind Farm is a windfarm on the Eaglesham moor in Scotland. The main visitor centre is located in East Renfrewshire, but the majority of turbines are located in East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. It is the largest on-shore wind farm in the United Kingdom with 215 Siemens and Alstom wind turbines and a total capacity of 539 megawatts (MW), with the average of 2.5 MW per turbine. Whitelee was developed and is operated by ScottishPower Renewables, which is part of the Spanish company Iberdrola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in France</span>

In 2021 France reached a total of 18,676 megawatts (MW) installed wind power capacity placing France at that time as the world's seventh largest wind power nation by installed capacity, behind the United Kingdom and Brazil and ahead of Canada and Italy. According to the IEA the yearly wind production was 20.2 TWh in 2015, representing almost 23% of the 88.4 TWh from renewable sources in France during that year. Wind provided 4.3% of the country's electricity demand in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in India</span>

India is the world's 4th largest consumer of electricity and the world's 3rd largest renewable energy producer with 40% of energy capacity installed in the year 2022 coming from renewable sources. Ernst & Young's (EY) 2021 Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) ranked India 3rd behind USA and China. In FY2023-24, India is planning to issue 50 GW tenders for wind, solar and hybrid projects. India has committed for a goal of 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. In line with this commitment, India's installed renewable energy capacity has been experiencing a steady upward trend. From 94.4 GW in 2021, the capacity has gone up to 119.1 GW in 2023 as of Q4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Belgium</span> Overview of wind power in Belgium

Wind power in Belgium has seen significant advancements, starting with the generation of electricity from offshore wind farms in 2009. By 2020, the capacity of these offshore farms reached 2,262 megawatts (MW), matching the combined output of Belgium's largest nuclear reactors, Doel 4 and Tihange 3. Concurrently, the development of on-shore wind energy, which remained minimal until 2004, experienced significant growth, with installed capacity and production doubling annually from 96 MW in 2004 to 2,476.1 MW by 2021. The percentage of electricity demand met by wind grew to about 14.4% by 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in the Netherlands</span>

As of May 2024, wind power in the Netherlands has an installed capacity of 11,611 MW, 40.9% of which is based offshore. In 2022, the wind turbines provided the country with 18.37% of its electricity demand during the year. Windmills have historically played a major part in the Netherlands by providing an alternative to water driven mills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind power in Japan</span>

In Japan's electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity. As of 2023, the country had a total installed capacity of 5.2 GW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Taiwan</span>

Renewable energy in Taiwan contributed to 8.7% of national electricity generation as of end of 2013. The total installed capacity of renewable energy in Taiwan by the end of 2013 was 3.76 GW.

Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay was a proposed tidal lagoon power plant that was to be constructed in Swansea Bay off the south coast of Wales, United Kingdom. Development consent was granted by the UK government in June 2015, and in June 2018 the Welsh Government approved the plan and offered to invest £200 million; however, later that month the UK government withdrew its support on value-for-money grounds. Other options to enable the proposal to go ahead were reportedly still being explored.

Kilgallioch Wind Farm is a 96 turbine wind farm in South Ayrshire, Scotland with a total capacity of up to 239 megawatts (MW). Consent granted by the Scottish Government in February 2013 with construction starting in 2015 and completed in 2017. The wind farm contains 70 km of internal tracks, and a surface area of roughly 32 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Wales</span> Overview of electricity production in Wales

Energy in Wales is the production of electricity in Wales.

References

  1. "Energy Generation in Wales 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  2. "Adapting to Climate Change". Cadw. Cadw. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  3. "Wales' first ever climate change conference set to take place in Cardiff". ITV Consumer Limited. ITV News. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Permitted Development Rights and Non-Domestic Solar PV and Thermal Panels" (PDF). Welsh Government. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Regen. "Energy Generation in Wales 2019" (PDF). Welsh Government. Welsh Government. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Garrett, Frederick C., ed. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol.56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-26 to A-110.
  7. "Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales" (PDF). Welsh Government. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  8. "Natural Resources Wales / Small-scale hydro energy". naturalresources.wales. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  9. "Dinorwig Power Station". engie. engie. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. MacKay, David JC (2009). Sustainable Energy - without the hot air. Cambridge: UIT. p.  191. ISBN   978-0-9544529-3-3.
  11. "Rheidol Visitor Centre and Power Station".
  12. "Energy Generation in Wales 2016" (PDF). p. 35.
  13. 1 2 "Could Anglesey's tidal energy project drive a new energy revolution?". the Guardian. 2022-04-24. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  14. "Budget 2015: Swansea tidal lagoon negotiations 'opening'". BBC News. 2015-03-18. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  15. "Government rejects plan for £1.3bn tidal lagoon in Swansea". The Guardian. London. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  16. "Green light expected for multi-billion-pound tidal lagoon project". Nation.Cymru. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  17. Moore, Catherine (2022-03-03). "North Wales £7bn tidal lagoon gets thumbs up from council". Ground Engineering. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  18. Hughes, Owen (2023-01-01). "Seven developments to kick start North Wales economy in 2023". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  19. "Morlais tidal project on Anglesey gets £31m EU funding". BBC News. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  20. "RWE Innogy - Tech and Spec". Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  21. "Blue Gem Wind starts Erebus-related onshore geotechnical study". Renewables Now. Renewables Now. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  22. Ltd, Renews (2023-01-17). "Welsh solar farm wins planning approval". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. Retrieved 2023-01-18.