| Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm |
| Clocaenog Forst Wind Farm, Saron, Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales |
Project Facts and Figures
| Project Value | £120 Million |
| Project Duration | 24 Months |
| Services | Wind Farm Electrical Infrastructure, Electrical Balance of Plant (EBoP) |
| Market Sector | Renewable Energy, Wind Farm |
| Number of Turbines | 27 |
| Wind Turbine Capacity | 3.6 MW |
| Total Installed Capacity | 96 MW |
| Connection Voltage | 132 kV |
| Size of Site | 1,600ha |
| Energy for | 63,800 |
| Length of Onsite 33 kV Cabling | 181.50 km |
Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm scope of work & major design considerations:
Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm is located in Claocaenog Forest, South West of Denbigh and to the east of Brenig reservoir North Wales. The wind farm consists of twenty seven 3.6 MW Vestas Wind Turbines, each with a tip height of 145m. The 27 turbines will be erected within the working forest and managed by Natural Resources. This site was specifically designated by the Welsh Assembly Government as suitable for a large scale development of renewable energy.
Clocaenog wind farm will have an installed capacity of up to 96 megawatts. This is enough renewable energy for the equivalent domestic needs of up to 63,800 average UK households per year.
The Balance of Plant (BoP) and electrical works were undertaken by Powersystems. This is on behalf of Jones Bros Civil Engineering and on behalf of the wind farm developer Innogy Renewables.
Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm is a potential £120 million renewable energy project. And this construction could present significant opportunities for the local supply chain.
The Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm development:
Powersystems were appointed to design, supply installation, testing and commission a 132 kV grid connection.
- 2 x 70MVA 132 kV/33 kV grid transformers and associated circuit breakers
- Disconnectors / earth switches 132 kV busbar network
- Cabling to connect to 27 x 3.6 MW Vestas wind turbines, located within the Clocaenog Forest
- Within the control building duplicate 33 kV switchboards with circuits to feed six wind farm arrays
- Bus-coupler arrangement to give running flexibility should one grid transformer be out of service
- Plus the necessary control and protection panels for the complete 132 kV / 33 kV systems, incorporating state of the art Point on Wave relays for the two 132 kV circuit breakers
- Compound and sub-station earth system installation and testing, including the adjacent SPEN Bryn Bach 132 kV compound earthing
- All necessary building fit-out works comprising of lighting and small power with intruder and fire alarm systems
- Within the Clocaenog Forest itself, the installation of 33 kV power and fibre optic and earth cabling works to all 27 x 3.6 MW wind turbines
- All wind farm cabling to connect into the control building
Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm project timings:
Construction of Clocaenog Forest wind farm began in late March 2018 with mobilisation on site which involved preparing the ground for construction activity. Turbine component deliveries commenced in Jan 2019. Electrical work at the time was planned to continue until September 2019.
How Powersystems have helped:
- Electrical design
- Switchgear supply, installation and commissioning
- Transformer supply, installation and commissioning
- Cables supply and installation
- 132 kV Busbar System and support structures design and install
- Cable jointing
- HV testing
- SAP provision
- Panel fabrication
- Generator supply
Watch a short film on the Cloacenog Forest Wind Farm
Environmental Benefit
- Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm is capable of providing renewable electricity equivalent to the needs of 63,800 UK homes.
- The project will play a significant role towards helping Wales to meet its renewable energy targets
- This local contract was worth £20m, provided work for 60 employees together with 14 apprentices and trainee engineers
Economic Benefit
- Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm represents an investment of £118 million in new clean energy infrastructure
- Upon completion in 2020, the RWE’s Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm began delivering a £768,000 annual community investment fund into the local area. The fund is independently managed and administered by Community and Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC) on behalf of local communities in Conwy and Denbighshire. It aims to establish a long-lasting legacy by delivering life-changing benefits for the neighbouring communities. So far, the Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm Fund has invested £1.181m into 96 grants, creating more than 24 jobs and safeguarding a further 62 in the process
In Conclusion:
The wind farm is located near Denbigh, and consists of 27 turbines, capable of providing renewable electricity equivalent to the needs of 63,800 UK homes, and was completed in 2020 with construction taking around 18 months.
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