Bute Energy is an independent renewable energy company combining experience with innovation. We aim to be forward thinking in everything we do, and we are passionate about finding better ways to deliver renewable energy using reliable proven technology.
Bute Energy is headquartered in Cardiff and focused on Wales. We are committed to playing a leading role in building a low carbon and prosperous country, delivering clean energy and supporting viable communities, now and into the future.
Bute Energy is set to become a leading developer of onshore renewable energies in the UK, making a substantial contribution towards meeting the renewable energy targets of the Welsh Government and the net zero carbon objectives of the UK Government.
The current energy crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of UK energy to external forces, with significant implications for energy affordability.
Onshore renewable energy in Wales will provide greater energy security, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. Onshore wind offers the most cost-effective choice for new electricity in the UK – cheaper than gas, nuclear, coal and other renewables.
Bute Energy has partnered with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), whose long-term investment will allow us to accelerate the development of our portfolio and bring significant supply chain, certainty, and economic benefits to Wales. CIP globally manages over €16bn of energy infrastructure funds, focusing on the renewables sector.
You can find out more at the Bute Energy website www.bute.energy.
Green Generation Energy Networks Cymru (Green GEN Cymru) is part of the Bute Energy group of companies, based in Wales and developing green energy projects in Wales to meet the future needs of Welsh people, communities and businesses.
Green GEN Cymru will design, build and operate a new 132kV distribution network needed to connect new Welsh renewable energy projects to the electricity transmission network, helping to get green energy to homes and businesses across Wales and beyond.
Green GEN Cymru has applied for an Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO) licence from Ofgem. The IDNO licence is required to allow Green GEN Cymru to transport renewable energy from where it is generated to the homes and businesses where it will be used. Ofgem have confirmed that the application is currently being assessed.
IDNOs are companies that develop, own, operate and maintain smaller, local electricity distribution networks (up to 132kv) within the regional Distribution Network Operator (DNO) network. In South Wales, the DNO is National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) and Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) is responsible for the electricity distribution network across North Wales.
Our green grid network can provide a regional network solution for South and Mid Wales. Other energy generators will be able to apply to connect to it, reducing the need for more infrastructure in future.
We will work closely with Welsh communities and stakeholders as we develop our plans, to maximise the benefits and minimise the impacts for local people.
You can find out more at the Green GEN Cymru website www.greengencymru.com.
North and South Wales are well served by electricity infrastructure, however Mid Wales is widely recognised as a region that is poorly served in this capacity. This lack of electricity infrastructure has proved a barrier in delivering Welsh Governments targets for on-shore wind generation in the area and also in allowing opportunities for development of jobs and skills in the Mid Wales area.
Green GEN Cymru will ensure the design, planning and delivery of this essential infrastructure takes place in Wales, with the interests of Wales and Welsh people at front of mind.
We believe that as a Welsh renewable energy business we are uniquely placed to work with Welsh communities, landowners, stakeholders and suppliers to create economic and community benefits for Wales.
Much of the existing grid infrastructure in Wales was built many years ago to transport electricity from old fossil-fuel power stations in the north and south. Energy generation in the future will come mainly from renewables and will be more distributed, so new and updated grid infrastructure will be needed to get the energy to the homes, schools hospitals and businesses that need it. Bute Energy is committed to connecting new sources of renewable energy in line with Welsh Government targets.
Our green grid network has the potential to provide a regional network solution for Mid Wales. Other energy generators will be able to apply to connect to it, reducing the need for more infrastructure in future.
Bute Energy’s portfolio comprises projects at various stages of development, with the first projects expected to commence construction in 2024. In total, the portfolio of onshore wind farms, solar PV projects and co-located battery energy storage systems could have an installed capacity in excess of 3 GW by 2030, making a substantial contribution towards meeting the renewable energy targets of the Welsh Government and the net zero carbon objectives of the UK Government.
Working with local and national partners, our ambitious proposals will see us increase renewable energy within Wales, helping address the biggest threat facing future generations: the climate emergency.
Green GEN Towy Usk will allow more clean, green energy produced in Wales to get to homes and businesses in Wales and beyond.
It will help bring the power we need in future to heat our homes, cook our meals, and keep our vehicles on the road – meeting the growing demands of the 21st century.
And it will help Wales meet its target for 70% of the nation’s energy to come from renewables by 2030, an essential step in achieving ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 to tackle climate change.
Green GEN Towy Usk is proposing a new 132kv electricity overhead line, supported by steel lattice towers (pylons), linking the proposed Nant Mithil Energy Park, near Llandrindod Wells to the national grid near Carmarthen, South Wales.
It is part of a major investment in Wales by Green GEN Cymru, part of the Bute Energy group, which is planning around 3GW of new renewable energy projects that will create jobs, skills and investment in the Welsh economy while helping to secure reliable green energy supplies for Wales and the UK.
The Green GEN Towy Usk project is required to take energy from where it is produced to where we will use it in our homes and businesses. Currently there is no infrastructure in the area that is capable of distributing the power from the proposed energy Nant Mithil Energy Park to the national grid. Our proposals are to take the power from the energy park to a proposed new substation on the existing National Grid 400kV transmission network near Carmarthen. The connection is proposed to be made with a 132kV double-circuit overhead line.
As well as connecting Nant Mithil Energy Park to the electricity transmission network, the new line will also be able to connect future energy parks being planned in this area of Wales, reducing the amount of additional infrastructure needed in future.
The proposed Nant Mithil Energy Park is due to start generating electricity by 2028, so the proposed new connection would need to be in place by then. The other Energy Parks would connect after Nant Mithil Energy Park.
You can find out more in our Green GEN Phase 1 Grid Connection Strategy document.
Green GEN Cymru will pay for the construction and maintenance of the new electricity distribution network, while Bute Energy’s energy parks will pay an annual charge for using the distribution network, which provides Green GEN Cymru with a return on its assets.
We believe that as a Welsh renewable energy business, we are uniquely placed to work with Welsh communities, landowners, stakeholders and suppliers to create economic and community benefits for Wales. Our green grid network can provide a regional network solution for South and Mid Wales. Other energy generators will be able to apply to connect to it, reducing the need for more infrastructure in future.
The existing distribution network surrounding the Bute Energy sites is not sufficient to transport the amount of power that will be generated. We have assessed a variety of potential connections points to allow the export of power from the Bute Energy wind farm sites.
We identified a total of 11 potential connection points, four in England and seven in Wales. Route options to England presented longer overhead route lengths overall, and associated environmental impact and greater cost.
The route to Carmarthen had the shortest overall route length and the lowest potential impact on landscape with the highest levels of environmental designations. It would also allow other Energy Parks to connect to the new line in future, helping to get more clean green energy to where it’s needed while minimising the need for additional infrastructure.
You can find more information on how we have identified the connection point in the Green GEN Phase 1 Grid Connection Strategy document.
As well as connecting Nant Mithil Energy Park to the electricity transmission network, the new line will also have the potential to connect future wind farms being planned in South Wales, reducing the amount of additional infrastructure needed in future.
Each Bute Energy Park will be connected individually to the proposed new 132kV double-circuit overhead line. These local connections will probably be made using overhead lines supported on wood poles, depending on the amount of energy produced. Further information will be available as the windfarm projects evolve.
The proposed Nant Mithil Energy Park is due to start generating electricity by 2028, so the proposed new connection would need to be in place by then. You can find out more about the energy park at https://nantmithilenergypark.wales/.
The other Energy Parks would connect after Nant Mithil Energy Park. You can find out more about the potential connections in the Green GEN Phase 1 Grid Connection Strategy document.
As we develop our projects we consider the visual impacts of the overhead lines and how these can be reduced through careful routeing, for example seeking to avoid important designations and towns and villages, and potential for mitigation. We also consider other environmental and technical constraints and effects, including landscape designations, ecology and ornithology, recreation and tourism, hydrology, cultural heritage, ancient woodland, forestry, farming and other land uses.
We follow the long-established Holford Rules for routeing overhead lines, key principles of which include avoiding prominent ridges and skylines; following broad wooded valleys; avoiding settlements and residential properties; and maximising opportunities for ‘backclothing’ and the screening of infrastructure.
Working with our environmental consultants, we identified corridors of land through which an overhead line route could be installed between Nant Mithil Energy Park and the existing national grid network near Carmarthen, looking at how each might affect local communities, the landscape, local views, biodiversity, forestry and cultural heritage, flood risk and other land uses.
We then selected a preferred corridor for Green GEN Towy Usk and identified potential route options within it. Following further research, we have selected a preferred route in that corridor to take forward for public consultation.
Our preferred route avoids and seeks to reduce potential impacts on the Brecon Beacons National Park and other sensitive landscapes, and requires the least amount of new infrastructure.
We believe this route achieves the best balance between our technical requirements and minimising the impact on the environment and the people, who live, work and enjoy spending their time in the area.
We know that new infrastructure can be disruptive to communities. We are committed to doing everything we can to cause the least disturbance to the environment and those who live, work and enjoy recreation close to our proposals.
You can find more information about how we identified our preferred route, and the other options we considered, in our Routeing and Consultation Document and our Green GEN Phase 1 Grid Connection Strategy document.
High voltage, high capacity overhead lines are the proven economic and reliable choice for the bulk transmission of electricity throughout the world.
IDNO licence holders have duties contained in section 9 of the Electricity Act 1989 to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity distribution and this will be scrutinised both in the planning process and by the energy regulator, Ofgem. Green GEN Cymru will have a duty under the IDNO licence to ensure costs are minimised and as a result, will need to balance carefully the impacts of the proposals with the costs of mitigation.
We will consider undergrounding a 132kV overhead line, or section of that line, in particular circumstances where no suitable route for an overhead line can be identified because of environmental, technical or engineering constraints. Underground cables are typically between seven and 10 times more expensive than overhead lines. These additional costs are made up of additional construction and materials costs required for underground cables.
Depending on the conductor (wire) type and spacing between structures, a wood pole connection at 132kV (132,000 volts) could carry a maximum of 200 MW (megawatts) of power and therefore a single or double wood pole route would not have sufficient capacity to carry all of the power proposed to be generated by Nant Mithil Energy Park.
The proposed connection on steel lattice pylons can accommodate up to 800MW of power. This is sufficient to carry the power from the Nant Mithil windfarm and still have capacity to connect additional energy parks along the route and carry the power to where it will be used. This additional capacity means that other developers may also be able to use the new connection in future, further reducing the need for additional connections.
The standard height for a steel lattice pylon to carry a 132kV overhead line is typically 27 metres, which is just over half the height of a pylon used to support the higher-voltage 400kV overhead lines used on the national grid network (typically 45 metres high).
The average span length (the distance between pylons) is approximately 250m. Exact pylon heights and span lengths can be increased or decreased depending on the terrain they cross and size of wires they carry. Pylon heights would need to be increased for greater spans.
A key part of this is consultation with landowners, stakeholders and the public to inform the development of the project. We also follow established guidelines for routeing overhead lines, taking account of in-depth environmental studies, technical and economic factors.
It’s a complex process, and we must find a balance between statutory obligations, engineering requirements, economic viability, the environment, and the views of people who live, work, enjoy recreation and pass through it.
Following the first round of consultation, we will consider all feedback received alongside further technical and engineering studies and a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
We will then develop a detailed route alignment, including proposed pylon locations, working areas and access routes, which will be subject to further public consultation, probably in 2024.
You can find more information on this process in our Approach to Routeing and Environmental Impact Assessment document.
We are aware of the proposals for a new cycle path from Llandeilo to Carmarthen. The cycle track will be approximately 16 miles in length and will run on the route of a redundant railway track, almost adjacent to the river Towy. We understand that people would like us to bury the cables in the cycle track rather than take them overhead. We will consider this feedback and consider the feasibility of this as we develop our proposals.
Overhead lines of 132kV require consent from Welsh Ministers under the Developments of National Significance (Wales) Regulations 2016, and also require an Environmental Impact Assessment.
We anticipate submitting our application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in early 2025. Independent planning inspectors will then hold a final round of statutory consultation before making any decision on our applications.
In this first round of consultation we would like your views on our preferred overhead line route, and anything you would like us to consider when planning where the pylons should go.
You can give us your comments through this website, or by sending them to us, or by coming along to one of our public exhibitions. You can find full details here.
The project is in the early stages of development. We are talking to a wide range of stakeholders including MPs, MSs, Local Authorities, Elected Members and statutory bodies such as Natural Resources Wales.
In addition, we have been talking to landowners since January to arrange surveys to further inform development of our proposals. These surveys are important because they will help determine factors that need to be taken into consideration during the development of the project. The surveys will be carried out by specialist contractors.
We are in the early stages of development of this project and no final decisions have been made on where the connection or the pylons will go.
Once we have a final design we will speak to all landowners affected on a one to one basis and how we can support them. We will work hard to reduce impacts on individual properties but if the final design does impact your property we will discuss what compensation is available to you in line with current legislation. Please contact us if you have a particular concern.
Bute Energy will establish a Community Benefit Fund for each of its Energy Parks. The fund will benefit not just local people close to the Energy Park, but people along the route of the grid connections too.
The value of the fund will be based on the amount of energy generated by the Bute Energy Park. For every MW of power generated each year £7,500 will be donated to the fund. This benefit will be shared between the area around the energy parks and the route of the grid connection with approximately £5,000 per MW going to the energy park area and £2,500 per MW supporting community projects along the route of the overhead line.
The total value of the fund will depend on the final generating capacity of the Energy Parks.
We are currently mapping all relevant census data, services, organisations, and groups to better understand the area. We will then share this information with local people to identify priorities for investment of the fund to make sure we maximise its benefits for the community.
Let us know who is doing great work where you live so that we can speak with them. We want to be good neighbours as a part of a thriving community.
The Community Benefit fund will be available once the Energy Park comes into operation. In the meantime our team are talking with local people and organisations about the projects, groups and services they are engaged with and how we can help.
This project will enable low carbon generation to be connected to the electricity network and to the homes and businesses where we use it. Once up and running, wind generation is one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation and this project will contribute towards controlling our energy prices in the future.
No decisions have yet been made as to how the Community Benefit Fund will be administered. But we do want to make sure as many local people, groups and service providers are involved in developing the priorities for the investment of the fund.
We are a Welsh company and we are committed to investing in Wales and supporting the Welsh economy. We are still at an early stage of project development, but we will be providing opportunities to the Welsh supply chain wherever possible.
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs) are produced whenever electricity is used or transmitted. Background EMFs are present in most homes. They are produced by household wiring, electrical appliances, low-voltage distribution cables that carry electricity along streets and by high voltage power lines and substations.
You can find out more about EMFs at the website www.emfs.info.
High-voltage power lines can generate noise under certain conditions.
- Audible noise from overhead-line conductors and fittings is generally either a “crackle” or a “hum”. It occurs mainly in wet weather, particularly fog and rain.
- Noise may also arise as a result of the wind blowing past the line or pylons.
The impact of noise will be assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and mitigations may be proposed where it is identified as an issue.
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act came into force in 2015. The Act sets out a series of wellbeing goals to improve the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of Wales to ensure that future generations have at least the same quality of life as we do now. The act is designed to ensure that public bodies make better decisions to take account of the long term, prevent problems occurring and consider and involve people of all ages and diversity in decision making.
Bute as a company based in Wales, although not a public body, takes the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act very seriously and it is considered intrinsically in all decisions made when we develop our projects. The development of new renewable low carbon energy directly supports the ambitions of the Act in relation to a prosperous and resilient Wales.
As we develop our projects, we consider careful the wellbeing goals set out in the Act and the impacts we may have on the area and seek to avoid/reduce impacts on communities and the environment. Where this is not possible, we will always seek to mitigate these impacts.
In addition, we are developing a comprehensive package of community benefits. We will invest in skills and development for zero carbon jobs this decide. Our sites will support 55,000 FTE years of work and we will invest in local training and apprenticeship schemes around our sites. By growing the renewable energy supply chain, we can optimise long terms employment and local benefits. Our projects will deliver wider benefits to support local communities in the form of community investment funds totalling more than £800m through the lifetime of our projects. Informed by local people, our funding will focus on improving access to recreation, health and wellbeing activities, enhancing local education offering while creating new pathways into employment.
We are consulting now to listen to people’s views on our preferred overhead line route, and anything you would like us to take into account when planning where the pylons should go.
We have published details of our proposals on our project website and we will be holding a series of public exhibitions and webinars to speak to people so they can find out more about our plans and ask questions of the project team.
Following this first round of public consultation, we will carefully consider all feedback received, along with reports from our environmental and technical surveys.
This will help us to develop a detailed design and alignment for the new overhead line, including locations for towers, access routes and working areas.
We will publish a report summarising the feedback received in this first round of consultation and how this has influenced our proposals.
We will then carry out a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment and hold a second round of public consultation, so that people can give us their views on the detailed route alignment.
After considering feedback received in the second round of consultation, we will finalise our proposals and submit applications for consent to the Welsh Ministers in early 2025.
The Welsh Ministers will then hold a final round of statutory consultation before making any decision on our applications.
The connection will be in place to support the Energy Park contracted connection date in 2028.
You can contact the project team at:
- Telephone: 0800 3777 339 (during office hours 9 to 5/answer phone out of hours)
- Email: info@greengentowyusk.com