Powering Opportunities

Powering Opportunities – North Wales

North Wales has played an important role in the UK’s energy story for decades. Through Powering Opportunities, we are taking a regional approach to show how RWE’s presence contributes to local communities, businesses, skills development and the environment, as well as generating the electricity that helps power homes and industries across the country.

This first edition of the campaign explores that wider impact through five key pillars: energy generation, community benefit funding, supply chain opportunities, skills and training, and ecology and habitat management, highlighting the breadth of RWE’s contribution across the region.

From technicians maintaining offshore wind farms in Mostyn and apprentices developing their skills at Coleg Llandrillo, to local businesses supporting our projects and communities deciding how benefit funding is invested, Powering Opportunities brings these stories together to show how RWE’s impact in North Wales extends far beyond energy generation.

Facts & Figures

Number of RWE operational sites across North Wales

Nearly 00 million

Number of average UK homes RWE’s North Wales fleet can power

£ 00 million

The lifetime total RWE Community Benefits Funds will invest in North Wales

RWE’s Impact in North Wales

RWE’s Impact

Stylized teal-blue map of a coastal region dotted with illustrated buildings, wind turbines and boats labeled "Llandrillo College" and "Rhyl Flats".

Port of Mostyn O&M Base: Powering Offshore Wind

RWE’s operations and maintenance (O&M) base at the Port of Mostyn is at the heart of the day-to-day operation of our North Wales offshore wind fleet.

More than 90 people are directly employed to operate RWE’s wider offshore wind fleet from Mostyn, supporting three operational wind farms: Gwynt y Môr, Rhyl Flats and North Hoyle, which have a combined installed capacity of 726 MW.

The dedicated O&M facility provides a permanent base from which RWE supports its offshore wind operations. The facilities include a pontoon landing stage supporting crew-transfer vessel operations, helping connect the teams based at Mostyn with the offshore wind farms they support.

This long-term operational presence supports skilled technical employment in North Wales, with Gwynt y Môr alone associated with around 100 long-term skilled operations jobs at Mostyn. It also creates ongoing demand for the services needed to operate offshore wind farms throughout their lifetimes, including marine, engineering, maintenance and specialist support.

Together, the three wind farms and the team supporting them from Mostyn demonstrate how offshore wind can create long-term, skilled careers and specialist renewable energy expertise in North Wales, extending the benefits of these projects well beyond their construction.

RWE’s UK Turbine Technician Apprenticeship Hub

RWE’s long-standing partnership with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is helping develop the skilled workforce needed to support the future of renewable energy. Based at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhyl, RWE’s award-winning wind turbine technician apprenticeship programme has grown into a UK-wide training hub based in North Wales.

The programme was established in 2012, responding to the demand for skilled technicians created by offshore wind developments including Gwynt y Môr, Rhyl Flats and North Hoyle. Since then, more than 100 apprentices have started the programme, with many going on to become technicians within RWE and the wider wind industry.

Apprentices combine technical education with practical experience preparing them for careers maintaining offshore wind turbines. RWE has also provided equipment, including nacelles from older wind turbines, giving apprentices the opportunity to train using real turbine technology rather than relying solely on theoretical learning.

The impact of the partnership extends beyond apprenticeships. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai also supports RWE employees working towards HNC and HND engineering qualifications, creating opportunities for people already working in the industry to continue developing their technical skills.

With apprentices coming through the programme to support RWE projects around the UK, the hub demonstrates how investment in skills in North Wales can have an impact far beyond the region, while establishing Rhyl as an important location for renewable energy training and creating pathways into long-term careers in the sector.

Building a Career Close to Home

Building Skills for the Future

A large group stands and kneels wearing dark shirts in a bright industrial workshop with a white aircraft fuselage and metal beams behind them, smiling.

Investing in Communities

RWE's renewable energy projects in North Wales deliver lasting benefits that extend far beyond the generation of clean electricity. Our renewable energy projects in the region have committed around £40 million of community benefit funding over their operational lifetime. Fund delivery is supported by local third sector partners with decisions led by local people. RWE’s flexible funds support a wide range of initiatives that make a real difference to local people and places.

Funding has helped improve community facilities, support local charities and voluntary organisations, create education and training opportunities, secure additional match funding, strengthen local businesses, and provide practical assistance for people and communities across North Wales.

In addition, RWE delivered a £690,000 tourism fund during the construction of Gwynt y Môr, which supported improvements to landmarks and visitor infrastructure including Llandudno Pier, Rhyl Harbour and Llandudno Beach, while also investing in projects that promote walking, cycling and the area's outstanding natural environment.

Together, these initiatives are helping to create a lasting social, economic and community legacy for North Wales.

Our funding in action

Restoring Nature at Clocaenog

At Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm, RWE is delivering a long-term Habitat Management Plan designed to leave the forest in a better state for nature than before the wind farm was built.

Working alongside the Local Planning Authority, Natural Resources Wales, ecologists, contractors and academic partners, more than 140 hectares of habitat have already been restored, supported by over £1 million of investment in ecological surveys, habitat restoration and conservation initiatives.

The programme has evolved beyond its original focus on heathland and peatland restoration and now includes native woodland, wet woodland and dormouse management areas. Restoration work is helping create a richer and more diverse landscape for wildlife, while surveys continue to monitor the success of habitat improvements and species populations.

Alongside habitat restoration, RWE has supported extensive ecological research and monitoring for species including bats, black grouse, nightjars, red squirrels and hazel dormice. Research carried out through a pioneering dormouse PhD has helped inform habitat management across the site, while ongoing work is supporting long-term biodiversity improvements throughout Clocaenog Forest.

Hydropower

Dolgarrog serves as the operational and maintenance (O&M) hub for RWE's North Wales hydro fleet, providing the local control, engineering expertise and rapid-response capability needed to keep the assets running safely and reliably.

From this base, RWE's five hydro power stations deliver 45 MW of flexible, on-demand generation and a combined energy storage capacity of 4,800 MWh, helping to balance the grid, integrate variable renewable energy and provide reliable stored energy when it is needed most.

Directly supporting around 20 local employees, the Dolgarrog team is responsible for planned maintenance, asset management, environmental stewardship and community engagement, ensuring these historic assets continue to play an important role in North Wales' energy system.

Through ongoing investment and specialist engineering expertise, the hub helps maintain a reliable source of flexible renewable energy while supporting regional energy security.

A scenic view of a reservoir surrounded by lush green hills and dramatic clouds.

Offshore Wind

RWE's offshore wind portfolio plays a major role in powering North Wales and supporting the UK's transition to a clean, secure and affordable future. Operating from our Operations and Maintenance base in Mostyn, Gwynt y Môr and Rhyl Flats provide a combined 666 MW of renewable energy capacity, generating enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of homes each year.

Commissioned in 2015, Gwynt y Môr is the largest operational offshore wind farm in Wales, comprising 160 turbines in the Irish Sea and generating enough clean electricity to power around 467,000 homes. Nearby, Rhyl Flats has been generating renewable electricity since 2009 and can power approximately 70,000 homes annually. RWE also operates North Hoyle, which was the first commercial offshore wind farm in the UK.

Beyond electricity generation, these projects support skilled employment, specialist marine operations, supply chain opportunities and long-term investment in North Wales. Together they have helped establish the region as an important hub for offshore wind expertise and innovation, with our commitment set to continue through the development of Awel y Môr, the next chapter in North Wales's offshore wind story.

Aerial view of wind turbines in the ocean, with reflections on the water and a clear sky in the background.

Onshore Wind

RWE's onshore wind activity in North Wales is centred on Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm, the largest onshore wind farm in RWE's UK fleet and a major investment in Wales' clean energy future.

Representing an investment of £118 million, Clocaenog has an installed capacity of 96 MW and comprises 27 turbines, generating enough clean electricity to power around 63,800 homes. The project has also delivered significant regional benefits, supporting Welsh jobs, local businesses and supply chain opportunities throughout its development and operation. Today, the wind farm supports around over 40 jobs annually in Wales through its operations and maintenance activities.

Clocaenog also delivers long-term value to local communities through one of RWE’s largest community funds, worth more than £19 million over the lifetime of the project. The wind farm also supports ongoing habitat restoration and biodiversity initiatives, helping to ensure renewable energy generation goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship.

RWE's commitment to onshore wind in North Wales continues with the development of the recently consented Alwen Forest Wind Farm, comprising up to 9 turbines. If it becomes operational, the project could generate enough renewable electricity to meet the annual needs of approximately 38,800 average households. If successful, the project will reinforce RWE’s long-term commitment to clean energy, local communities and regional growth in Wales.

A landscape featuring several wind turbines surrounded by dense forests under a partly cloudy sky.

Port of Mostyn

The Port of Mostyn in Flintshire has played an important role in RWE’s offshore wind story in North Wales for more than two decades.

The port served as a construction base for North Hoyle, Rhyl Flats and Gwynt y Môr, three operational offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 726 MW. Today, it continues to provide a long-term operations and maintenance base for the three wind farms.

The relationship grew significantly with Gwynt y Môr, which represents approximately £2 billion of offshore wind investment. Mostyn supported turbine assembly and construction logistics for the project, before becoming home to a dedicated operations and maintenance base.

That activity has brought lasting economic benefits. Gwynt y Môr supported around 700 jobs during construction, while approximately 100 long-term skilled operations jobs were secured at Mostyn. RWE also has a team of more than 90 people operating its wider offshore wind fleet from the port.

The benefits reach beyond RWE’s own operations. Gwynt y Môr generated more than £90 million of expenditure in Wales during construction, while the continuing operation of offshore wind farms creates demand for marine services, engineering, vessel operations, maintenance and specialist suppliers.

Together, these investments have helped establish Mostyn as a long-term base for offshore wind activity, supporting skilled employment, businesses and expertise in North Wales long after the original construction campaigns were completed.

Aerial view of a coastal industrial terminal with white storage silos and warehouses on piers extending into brown water under an overcast sky.

Jones Bros

RWE has a long-standing relationship with Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK, based in Ruthin, working together on major renewable energy projects across North Wales.

The relationship has included a multi-million-pound contract for preparatory groundworks associated with Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, a £6.6 million contract at the Dolgarrog Hydroelectric Scheme, and an approximately £20 million contract for civil engineering works at Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm.

At Dolgarrog, Jones Bros delivered approximately 1,200 metres of replacement pipeline, with the project creating opportunities for local labour and specialist subcontractors. At Clocaenog, its work included access roads, turbine foundations, crane hard standings, cabling and substation-related infrastructure.

The relationship has also supported skills development. At Clocaenog, Jones Bros announced four new apprenticeships and two trainee civil engineering positions, alongside the wider workforce involved in delivering the project.

And the relationship extends beyond North Wales. Jones Bros has worked with RWE and its predecessor businesses on projects elsewhere in the UK, including Aberthaw in South Wales and, more recently, enabling works for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm on Teesside.

Together, these projects demonstrate how RWE's investment in renewable energy can create opportunities for established North Wales businesses, supporting local employment, skills and supply-chain activity, while helping Welsh expertise contribute to energy projects across the UK.

A man in a white hard hat and high-visibility yellow and orange vest stands before large white wind turbines on a grassy, overcast hillside.

Five Pillars of Powering Opportunities

1. Energy Generation

Powering homes, businesses and the energy transition

North Wales is home to a significant volume of renewable energy capacity. RWE is Wales’ largest generator of renewables, spanning offshore wind, onshore wind and hydropower. Together these assets generate enough clean electricity to power close to one million homes while supporting energy security and decarbonisation.

Operates Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm (576MW), one of the UK's largest offshore wind farms.

Operates Rhyl Flats Offshore Wind Farm (90MW).

Operates North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm (60MW), Wales' first commercial-scale offshore wind farm.

Operates Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm (96MW), RWE's largest onshore wind farm in the UK fleet.

Operates five hydroelectric stations across North Wales from the Dolgarrog hub.

Offshore operations are coordinated from the Port of Mostyn, where more than 90 people are directly employed to support the operation and maintenance of RWE's North Wales offshore fleet.
RWE has helped establish North Wales as one of the UK's most important renewable energy regions, creating a long-term foundation for investment, employment and low-carbon growth.

A turquoise platform shows a concrete dam, a green island with trees, blue water with five white wind turbines and an orange boat.

2. Community Benefits

Investing in stronger, more resilient communities

RWE's investment extends far beyond energy generation. Through one of the largest renewable energy community funding programmes in Wales, RWE supports projects that improve lives, strengthen local organisations, build community wealth and create lasting legacy.

More than £40 million committed through North Wales community benefit funds over the lifetime of operational projects, of which over £19 million each is expected from both Gwynt y Môr and Clocaenog over their operational lifetimes.

Recruited decision-making panels of local people, supporting them to make funding decisions that support the projects that matter most. Ensured funding is accessible through a simple, straightforward process, with help and support available for applicants.

Delivered a £690,000 tourism fund, supporting local attractions and visitor infrastructure including improvements at Llandudno Pier, Rhyl Harbour and regional walking and cycling initiatives.

Provided £570,000 of RNLI support over five years, including training volunteer crews and rescue capability improvements across North Wales.

Supported people’s health and wellbeing through a strategic project, guided by the Welsh Ambulance Service, providing defibrillators where they were needed most in rural communities closest to Clocaenog Wind Farm, and through support for sports clubs and facilities including Rhyl and District RFC, Llandudno RFC, Llandudno Junction FC, Rhyl Amateur Boxing, Denbigh Town FC and Brenig Sailing Club.

Delivered multiyear funding for social projects such as Abergele Community Action, enabling them to grow, develop, employ the staff they need and plan for the future, while remaining flexible enough to respond to urgent needs, including swiftly making emergency funding available to communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Invested in innovative solutions to local challenges, including supporting community-led housing projects in Penmachno and Llannefydd that will create a lasting legacy by helping local people access affordable homes and remain in their communities.

Recruited decision making panels of local people who have been supported to gain the skills and confidence to making funding decisions that support the projects that matter most to their community.

Ensured funding is accessed by simple, straight forward process with help and support available for applicants.

Funded a strategic project, with guidance from the Welsh Ambulance Service, that provided defibrillators where they were needed most in the rural communities closest to Clocaenog Wind Farm.

Delivered multiyear funding for social projects like Abergele Community Action allowing them to grow, develop, employ the staff they need and plan for the future.

Improved people's health and welling being by supporting sports clubs and facilities like Rhyl and District RFC, Llandudno RFC, Llandudno Junction FC, Rhyl Amateur Boxing, Denbigh Town FC and Brenig Sailing Club.

Been flexible enough to respond to urgent needs like the Covid 19 pandemic where emergency funding was made available to communities swiftly.

Improved community buildings across the region with many benefiting from solar panels and battery storage helping to reduce their running costs as well as reducing CO₂ emissions.

Invested in innovative solutions to community challenges like affordable housing with support for community led housing projects in Penmachno and Llannefydd.
Community benefit funding places decision-making in the hands of local people, helping communities tackle issues that matter most to them while creating a long-term legacy from renewable energy investment.

A stylized isometric illustration of a small neighborhood block with blue-roofed buildings, a tree-lined park, playground equipment and tiny walking and cycling figures.

3. Supply Chain

Supporting Welsh businesses and regional growth

RWE's North Wales projects have generated significant economic activity and helped establish a strong local renewable energy supply chain, creating opportunities for businesses across the region.

£118 million invested in the development of Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm.

Development and construction of Clocaenog generated significant economic value, including hundreds of full-time equivalent job years.

Around 20% of development and construction expenditure at Clocaenog was retained in Wales.

Long-standing partnership with North Wales civil engineering company Jones Bros, which has supported projects including Gwynt y Môr and Clocaenog.

RWE champions the Offshore Energy Alliance, helping connect businesses across North Wales and North West England with opportunities in offshore wind and low-carbon energy.

The Port of Mostyn has become a major offshore wind operations hub, supporting ongoing supply-chain activity and specialist services.
RWE's investment has helped strengthen local business capability, create economic growth and position North Wales as a key centre for renewable energy supply-chain development.

A small isometric harbor shows a yellow-and-blue cargo ship at a dock with a blue crane, workers in orange vests, a truck and yellow tanks.

4. Ecology

Protecting and Restoring Nature

RWE's projects in North Wales demonstrate how renewable energy generation and nature recovery can work together. Through long-term habitat management, ecological research and species conservation programmes, RWE is helping to enhance biodiversity and create lasting environmental benefits across the region.

More than 140 hectares of habitat restored at Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm through long-term ecological management.

Habitat restoration has expanded beyond its original focus on heathland and peatland and now includes:

95 hectares of heathland

12 hectares of peatland

25 hectares of native woodland

7 hectares of wet woodland

4 hectares of dormouse management areas.

More than £1 million invested in ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and species conservation initiatives.

Extensive monitoring and conservation work has supported important species including bats, black grouse, nightjars, red squirrels and hazel dormice.

RWE funded an £87,000 PhD research programme into hazel dormice, improving understanding of how this protected species survives within commercial forestry environments and informing ongoing site management.

Habitat surveys have commenced to assess the success of restoration work and help guide future management decisions.

Nightjar monitoring has concluded that there has been no negative impact on the Clocaenog breeding population.

Findings from the dormouse research programme have informed management approaches implemented by both RWE and Natural Resources Wales, with dormouse habitat management works now underway.

A long-term Habitat Management Plan Stakeholder Group brings together RWE, Natural Resources Wales, local authorities, ecologists, contractors and academics to support the continued development of the programme.
RWE's habitat management work at Clocaenog is helping create a more diverse, resilient and wildlife-rich landscape while generating renewable energy. Through habitat restoration, ecological research and long-term species conservation, the programme is delivering lasting biodiversity benefits and demonstrating how renewable energy infrastructure can contribute positively to nature recovery in North Wales.

Isometric illustration of a small green island with blue water, featuring dark blue solar panels, white wind turbines, and people strolling peacefully among trees.

5. Skills

Building the workforce for the energy transition

One of RWE's most significant long-term contributions to North Wales has been the development of a skilled workforce capable of supporting the UK's growing renewable energy sector.

Established RWE's UK-wide turbine technician apprenticeship hub in North Wales.

Trained more than 100 apprentices for careers in the wind industry.

Developed a long-term partnership with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Llandrillo.

Supported specialist engineering courses and apprenticeship programmes that help meet growing industry demand.

Invested in real-world training facilities and equipment, enabling apprentices to gain hands-on experience with wind turbine technology.

Working through the Offshore Energy Alliance and North Wales Regional Skills Partnership to develop talent pipelines for future offshore wind projects.
RWE has helped establish North Wales as a recognised centre for renewable energy skills, ensuring local people can access high-quality careers while helping meet the workforce needs of the UK's energy transition.

Interesting Facts

North Wales has a long and fascinating connection with energy – from hydropower built over 120 years ago to some of today’s largest renewable energy projects. Here are a few facts that show how RWE and renewable energy are part of the region’s story.

North Wales is home to Wales' largest offshore wind farm

North Wales is home to one of the UK's largest offshore wind farms

Gwynt y Môr, which translates from Welsh as "Wind of the Sea", generates enough renewable electricity each year to power around 467,000 homes, more than the total number of households across North Wales.

A row of offshore wind turbines stretches into the misty sea under a soft golden sunrise, reflecting pale orange light on calm water.

Over 100 wind turbine technicians have trained in Rhyl

RWE's apprenticeship hub at Coleg Llandrillo Menai has trained over 100 apprentices, many of whom now work across the UK's renewable energy sector.

Three technicians in navy shirts labeled "RWF" wearing safety goggles adjust controls on a large blue industrial machine with metal cables in a workshop.

Clocaenog is more than just a wind farm

Alongside generating clean electricity, Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm supports one of RWE's largest habitat restoration programmes, including heathland, peatland, woodland and species conservation projects.
Read more

A group of mostly black cows with two white ones stands behind a barbed-wire fence on purple heather and grassy moorland under evergreen trees.

Mostyn is a hub for offshore wind

More than 90 people work from RWE's Operations and Maintenance base at the Port of Mostyn, helping keep offshore wind farms generating clean electricity around the clock.

Two construction workers in yellow and white hard hats and red life vests walk smiling along a pale blue steel walkway above a rocky shoreline.

Clocaenog can power a town the size of Wrexham

The wind farm generates enough electricity each year to power around 63,800 homes.

Reddish heath and low shrubs in the foreground frame a large white wind turbine and smaller turbines above dark conifer trees beneath a pastel sky.

Offshore wind helped improve local tourism

A £690,000 tourism fund linked to Gwynt y Môr supported projects including improvements to Llandudno Pier, Rhyl Harbour and walking and cycling routes across the region.

Two men leaning on black road bikes, one wearing a green sweater and the other a black jacket, with a rocky shoreline and blue ocean.

Hydropower has been part of North Wales' energy story for over 100 years

Cwm Dyli, one of the hydro power stations operated by RWE's North Wales team, was built in 1906 and is recognised as the UK's longest continuously operating power station.

A small cluster of stone cottages with grey roofs sits in the foreground, framed by steep, vivid green terraced hills and winding stone paths.

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Powering Opportunities