Ways Anglesey “the Energy Island” fights climate change
Anglesey designated itself “the Energy Island” a few years ago. Anglesey fights climate change with various schemes proposed to generate renewable electricity, and the latest is a scheme to produce carbon free fuel.
Wind Power
there are now three wind farms, two are situated near the north coast while the third is close to Llyn Alaw (Lake)in the centre of the island. The wind turbines near Llanbabo village and Llyn Alaw (Lake) were completed in 1997. Operated by NWP Limited, this farm has thirty four (34)turbines. Llyn Alaw wind farm has a capacity of 20.4 MW (mega watts)and can produce an average 60,000 kilowatt hours (KWh) each year. This is enough to provide electricity for 14,000 homes in the local community.
Solar Power
The surge in Solar farm proposals on Anglesey prompted calls for major energy developers to offer community benefits : there are several large solar farm proposals which are very controversial with some local residents, we reported on some of them here. Everyone wants renewable energy but not at the expense of the traditional agricultural landscape. Maybe the problem is with the scale of these proposals? Mega-solar sites are being proposed over potentially more than 2,000 acres of Anglesey land – with enough energy produced to power 170,000 homes. That’s far more homes than the whole of Anglesey! There are many more planning applications and plans being drawn up. Sadly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels has adverse impacts on the landscape and on land available for farming.
Marine Power
The Morlais marine energy project received ministerial support : Morlais being a scheme to insert a variety of marine technologies for capturing wave, current and tidal energy just offshore from South Stack; this is a scheme by Menter Mon, a community owned company to benefit the local people They issue regular updates and newsletters. Work has begun on the onshore terminal with road closures in the Porth Dafarch to South Stack area while construction continues. This is a tidal stream project using one of the best sites in the UK with what have been described as “upside down wind turbines” turning slowly in the water as a very predictable and regular water current passes by. All installations will be underwater, but only anchored to the sea bed like a ship.
Hydrogen
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has set out ambitious plans to become a Hydrogen Energy Centre of Excellence as part of its ongoing commitment to low carbon energy. Working with regional and national partners as well as key industry players, the Grŵp aims to establish specialist training facilities and programmes to support companies and the workforce to embrace the opportunities presented by hydrogen energy.
Wylfa 2
The long but ongoing saga of how to replace Wylfa Nuclear power station. Horizon Nuclear Power withdrew plans for a new plant at Wylfa, blaming UK government funding options. Japanese-backers Hitachi pulled out of the £20bn project.
Amongst all the talk of renewable energy systems planned for Anglesey, the latest government moves on nuclear might involve Anglesey again after the earlier plans fell through.
There is a “better than reasonable chance” that Wylfa on Anglesey will get a new nuclear power plant, the Welsh Secretary has said.
Current thinking is based on the small modular reactors which are far cheaper and quicker to build.