Successful open day at the Alltwalis wind farm

“The purpose was to strengthen ties between Statkraft and the local community, and let local residents experience the wind farm up close. It was a very successful day in this regard,” says Eivind Torblaa, outgoing manager of Statkraft UK Ltd.

The wind farm is idyllically located on a hillside on the outskirts of the town of Carmarthen, and sheep graze between the wind turbines. For the occasion, the area had been transformed into a fairground with a bouncy castle, rodeo, face painting, circus courses and a number of other activities. A band from the local school held a concert and several local organisations were involved. Visitors got a tour of the facility, and barbecue, ice cream and popcorn was available to everyone in the sunny weather.

Several sceptics returned from the wind farm with a different view, after seeing the wind turbines up close.
“They look amazing on the hillside,” one visitor said, while another was surprised at the low noise level of the turbines.

The event was covered by local paper Carmarthen Journal and BBC Wales.

Alltwalis wind farm consists of ten wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 23 MW. The annual production is estimated at 65 GWh – enough to supply 16 000 British households with green energy. The wind farm entered operation in December 2009.

For more information, please see www.alltwaliswindfarm.co.uk