Minister welcomes contribution of wind farms to counter climate change

Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister, Jane Davidson, welcomed the contribution made by wind power in the battle against climate change during a visit to Pembrokeshire’s first wind farm near Milford Haven yesterday (17 September 2009).

Ms Davidson met with representatives of Infinergy, the renewable energy company, on the site of its Castle Pill Wind Farm at Steynton, and discussed climate change issues and the positive part played by wind farms in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Infinergy, which develops onshore wind farms throughout the UK, has set up its Wales office in the Technium building in Cleddau Reach, and opened Castle Pill Wind Farm in Steynton in June.

During the visit, Ms Davidson met Infinergy Managing Director Esbjorn Wilmar, and Lorraine Dallmeier, the company’s Senior Project Manager in Pembrokeshire.

Ms Davidson said, "The development of cleaner energy sources is fundamental to climate change mitigation and to realising our vision for a more sustainable Wales, based on Wales using only its fair share of the earth’s resources.

“The Assembly Government strongly supports the expansion of diverse sources of renewable power generation in Wales. Currently, wind energy is the most commercially viable renewable technology available."

The Castle Pill development consists of four turbines, an existing turbine relocated from the site it had occupied since 2004, and three brand new super-quiet, industry-leading direct drive models, which have the capacity to power over 1,700 homes every year.

The new wind farm will annually replace between 3,100 and 7,300 tonnes of the greenhouse gas CO2, depending on whether the power it replaces is generated by gas or by coal.