RWE has made a further commitment to investment in South Wales with the opening of a new £350,000 Onshore Wind Service Centre. The facility, which is based in Neath, will serve as RWE’s central base in South Wales for the operation and maintenance of onshore wind turbines, as well as provide training and welfare facilities for technicians.
The multifunctional centre will primarily support the Brechfa Forest West and Mynydd y Gwair onshore wind farms which have a combined capacity of over 90MW: powering hundreds of thousands of homes and contributing approximately £2.45 million to community funds each year to support neighbouring Welsh communities.
The facility will host a workshop which will allow technicians to inspect and maintain wind turbine components to maximise safety and efficiency. A warehouse will provide storage for spare wind turbine components so they can be easily accessed. The close proximity to the two wind farms will allow the centre to act as a base for the storage of maintenance vehicles. A workspace will be provided for the technicians to facilitate operational planning and training along with a welfare facility.
As Wales’s largest renewable generator, RWE is looking to scale-up from its current UK portfolio of 33 operational wind farms exploring a significant potential onshore development pipeline of 22 projects - seven of which are in Wales. The Welsh projects could when fully developed and constructed represent a combined total installed capacity of 600 MW.
Tom Glover, UK Country Chair at RWE, commented “We are proud of our position as one of the largest investors in Wales and our new Onshore Wind Service Centre is another sign of our commitment to the country. The facility will ensure the operation and maintenance of our onshore wind farms in South Wales can continue effectively, as well as provide a training hub to develop a localised workforce.”
There are currently five technicians employed at the site with additional staff expected, including a new apprentice, this is part of RWE’s wider commitment to employing and training a skilled workforce in the region.
RWE is the largest power producer and renewable energy generator in Wales with more than 3GW of energy across 12 sites. RWE has invested £250 million into three onshore wind projects in Wales with two onshore wind farms, Brechfa Forest West and Mynydd y Gwair, located in the South Wales region.