The largest onshore wind farm in Wales is now operational. The 76 turbine Pen y Cymoedd wind farm is also the largest of its kind ever constructed by Swedish energy company Vattenfall.

The 76 turbine Pen y Cymoedd wind farm is now open after three years under construction. (Source: Vattenfall)The 228 MW wind farm secured work for more than 1,000 workers in Wales during construction and will employ 23 skilled wind farm technicians and support staff for the next 20 years. The system is expected to supply power for about 15 percent of Welsh households.

The project will have paid back its carbon footprint by 2020 and will continue generating clean electricity through 2037. In an average year, Pen y Cymoedd will displace more than 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide from fossil fueled generation, based on current levels of carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector.

The wind farm is also poised to become the largest commercial wind farm in the world with a co-located battery facility for storing electricity. The batteries, which have a capacity of 33 kWh each, will be packaged and installed at Pen y Cymoedd at the end of this year. This addition will deliver enhanced frequency response to the National Grid, promoting the integration of renewable energy into the energy system.