Balfour Beatty entered into a Joint Venture (JV) with Jones Bros Civil Engineering to design, procure and install the 76-turbine Pen y Cymoedd Wind Energy Project.
The largest onshore project in England and Wales, our scheme generates enough electricity to power 188,000 homes. 50,000m³ of concrete and 6,000 tonnes of reinforcement were used to construct the 76 turbine bases and crane pads. In addition around 85km of new tracks were constructed and 450km of cabling installed.
Remarkably all of the team’s accomplishments were achieved in a remote, inhospitable and environmentally sensitive landscape.
Sustainability and social impact was a key focus nine local apprentices were recruited to work on the scheme, more than 400 student visits were accommodated and over 65% of local labour was utilised from within 35 miles of the site, 92% within Wales.
The environmental regulator considered silt water runoff from construction works a serious risk to sensitive watercourses downstream. Early engagement with Natural Resource Wales was critical; together we developed a mitigation strategy. Our pioneering approach incorporated a variety of controls such as publication of a ‘Silt Pollution Prevention Techniques Site Handbook’ which was distributed to site operatives as a best practice tool. It resulted in Zero pollution events.
Achieving environmental excellence, waste was segregated for recycling with no waste going to landfill; over 700,000 tonnes of rock extracted from borrow pits and processed on site for haul roads and crane pads, minimising haulage off site. Excavated over 1.5million tonnes of rock, sub soil and peat.
