OVER 50 representatives from businesses and organisations across South West Wales attended a business breakfast hosted by Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel in Carmarthen on July 6.
Antur Cymru, a local and national social enterprise which supports businesses across Wales, and rural areas in particular, led proceedings and welcomed guest speakers, including Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability, Chris Foxall from Swansea Bay City Deal, Alice Jones from Associated British Ports and Andrew Eilbeck from Knights Brown.
The event provided local businesses with an overview of economic development in the region, and the scope for greater opportunities in the region in the form of investment, business growth and employment, resulting from renewable energy generation.
The event is part of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru’s ongoing engagement with the local community on its proposed Glyn Cothi Wind Farm, located in Brechfa Forest, Carmarthenshire.
If consented, Trydan’s proposed Glyn Cothi Wind Farm would deliver enough secure, clean energy to power the equivalent electricity requirements of 144,000 average Welsh homes, create skilled jobs, and contract with the local supply chain throughout its construction.
Richard Evans, Chief Executive of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, said: “Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru is helping to ensure that Wales takes greater control of our energy future, while retaining more of the value from projects in Wales.
“Generating homegrown electricity to power our homes, businesses, transport systems, and key technological ambitions, is central to enabling greater productivity and prosperity, while protecting us from international energy price shocks and helping to tackle climate change.
“We are serious about the local value that our projects deliver, and we look forward to working with local businesses and organisations in Carmarthenshire and beyond, to ensure the Glyn Cothi project delivers tangible and lasting benefits.”
Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability at Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “What excites me most is that we now have an opportunity to think differently about energy altogether.
“For decades our energy system has been designed around centralisation. But emerging technologies and regulatory reforms are starting to point us towards something smarter and more local – a connected local energy network where the power we generate in Carmarthenshire helps power Carmarthenshire, keeping both energy and wealth local.
“This is why the proposed Glyn Cothi project is so important. It represents a chance to think differently.”
Zoe Antrobus from 4theregion also said: “It was fantastic to attend Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru’s Carmarthenshire Business Breakfast and to see so many businesses and partners in the room.
“For 4theRegion, these conversations are really important because they bring people together across sectors, highlight the opportunities emerging across the region, and show how renewable energy, infrastructure and community benefit can work together for the good of South West Wales.”
As Wales’ publicly owned renewable energy developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru’s mission is to generate clean, secure energy while ensuring that more of the benefits of large-scale renewable projects are retained within Wales.
For more information about the proposed Glyn Cothi Wind Farm, visit Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru’s website.
