PLANS to build a wind farm between Newbridge and Cwmbran have been revealed.
Developers Renewable Energy Systems have requested an environmental impact assessment from Welsh ministers for the development, which will be determined by Welsh Government as a Development of National Significance.
Planning documents say that an application will soon be submitted for a wind farm of up to 15 turbines on land between Cwmbran, Newbridge and Pontypool at Mynydd Maen.
The turbines would have a maximum tip height of 149.9-metres from ground level, with a hub height of 89.9-metres and a rotor diameter of 120-metres. A report says each turbine would have an indicative capacity of five megawatts. The wind farm is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to build.
It is estimated the maximum number of construction vehicles per day will be 60, with an additional 25 for construction workers. Planning documents say the farm could have an operational life of between 25 and 30 years, when the turbines could then be removed, reconditioned or replaced.
“The proposed development will provide a means for generating renewable energy, therefore will contribute to climate change mitigation,” an environmental impact assessment scoping report says.
The site where the farm is proposed extends to 2,029-hectares, equating to more than 5,000-acres, and is made up of grassland and pockets of woodland. Housing within the site is limited to dispersed homes in Penyrheol, including at Hill Farm. A coal mining risk assessment suggests further investigations are carried out in areas where three mine shafts are identified, though it concludes the risk to all of the proposed turbine locations is “very low to negligible”.
The proposals for the development are currently at the design stage, with further details expected to be submitted in the coming months.