Wind turbine developers spoke to Rhayader Town Council in the same week they submitted a notice of intention to put in an application for two proposed local windfarms

Representatives from Bute Energy attended a town council meeting last week.

They said applications for Banc Du Energy Park northwest of Llangurig and Rhiwlas Energy Park southeast of Llangurig are expected to be submitted this summer.

Senior Project Manager at Bute Energy, Alasdair Adey said the Banc Du site spans 360 hectares, mostly of hilltop moorland and woodland and it is not within any local or national designated landscapes.

Banc Du would have six wind turbines, each with a maximum blade tip height of 200m, powering the equivalent of around 41,750 homes a year, the park would generate 46.2MW of energy and a community benefit of £297,000 annually.

Rhiwlas would include 13 turbines powering the equivalent of around 82,935 homes a year, the park would generate 85.8MW of energy. The community benefits associated with it would be £643,500 annually.

He said they go for bigger turbines but they erect fewer of them and they produce more energy.

Mr Adey said both projects would come forward at the same time but independently and as they are classed as a Development of National Significance, they would be submitted to Planning Environment Decision Wales for consideration, which will make a recommendation to Welsh Ministers, on whether to grant planning permission.

He said they hope to submit formal applications in the summer and hope to get a result within 12 months.

If they obtain permission, they would then look to start ground works over the winter of 2026/27, so it would be quite a quick turnaround.

Community Benefits officer Eluned Lewis said the community benefits package usually covers national heritage and cultural projects, recreation and health, education, social mobility and green skills cost of living crisis and community energy schemes.

She said as well as the community benefits Bute Energy ask contract partners to sign up to a Social Value clause of 2per cent, which would also go to community projects.

Councillor James Stuart asked about the connection to the National Grid and after some probing, Mr Adey said at this stage, it is proposed that they will be connected on a wooden pole overhead line. 

This overhead line would route north to connect to a new collector substation near to Cefn Coch. Further details of the proposed connection will be brought forward by Green GEN Cymru as part of a separate consultation.

Councillor Stuart said he felt a bit sceptical that Bute Energy had gone to the meeting with a big carrot - the suggestion of community benefits, but was reticent with some of the details of what would happen. 

“Be open and transparent with the community, I would say. Having looked at your documents, there is no word on the grid connection,” he said.

Rhayader Mayor Councillor Clare Evans said: “As a council we are more aware that we have got less and less money coming in from the local authority and it goes less far. As a town council there will be things that we get asked to do that will never be an earner. 

“We could be looking at the leisure centre because it’s such a prime facility for what it does such as leg clubs, birthday parties, public health and fitness and there is so much latent potential there to.”

Bute Energy agreed to keep in touch with Rhayader Town Council and keep them updated on the plans as the application process moves along.