A True Partnership Delivering Clean Energy for Wales

Last week I was delighted to join Rebecca Evans MS, the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, at the official visit to the Council’s new solar energy scheme in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Representatives from across this remarkable collaboration came together for the visit, including Welsh Government Policy Advisors, colleagues from Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) who supported the project through funding, Rhondda Cynon Taf Project Officers, the WGES team, scheme designers Stantec, and installers Vital Energi, who are also one of our trusted Refit providers. It’s a true partnership project, demonstrating the best of cross-sector collaboration to deliver meaningful decarbonisation.

From Ambitious Idea to Working Reality

The opportunity for this solar scheme was first identified by Jo Wall, who recognised its potential despite the technical challenges presented by the site. Supported into delivery by myself and the WGES Technical Team, the project has now become a flagship example of local energy generation in action, producing 5MW to the grid and 1.2MW private-wired to Cwm Taf Health Board’s Royal Glamorgan Hospital.

On a bright summer’s day, the system is expected to meet 100% of the hospital’s electricity needs, and even during the shorter, cloudier days of October it still supplies around 13% of demand. This represents a significant win-win for the public sector, providing clean, affordable power to the NHS while generating income for the local authority.

Regeneration with Purpose

The solar farm sits on a former coal tip, reprofiled into plateaus around 50 years ago, a powerful symbol of regeneration and smart reuse of brownfield land. The elevated position of the site required special design considerations to manage additional wind loading, which were successfully incorporated into the final engineering design.

Driving Forward Clean Transport

Our site tour was made possible thanks to Fleet EV, winners of the award-winning Welsh Government Collaborative Procurement that we supported. They provided 4×4 electric Maxus trucks, powerful vehicles with a two-tonne towing capacity, new to the UK market. These vehicles could are now being explored for use by Trunk Roads Agencies and Natural Resources Wales, marking another milestone in the transition towards low-carbon transport across Wales.

This project truly demonstrates what partnership can achieve, transforming a legacy industrial site into a beacon of clean energy, innovation, and collaboration for the Welsh public sector.

Can we help?

Do you have a project you would like help with, or could we answer a question about our services? Please message us here, contact Jane Forshaw directly or fill in the form on this page. We would be delighted to hear from you.