100-metre turbines arrive at Swansea community wind farm

The turbine makes its way through Pontardawe

A pair of 100-metre high turbines have been delivered to a community wind farm following 18 years of planning.

The Awel Aman Tawe co-operative wind farm started construction at the Mynydd y Gwrhyd site, 20 miles north of Swansea, in March.

The project has been funded by £1.34m community investment and a £3.55m Welsh Government loan.

Volunteers said they had to "pinch ourselves to believe it is happening."

The turbine blades are 40 metres long

Dan McCallum, Awel Co-op's project manager, said: "It was fantastic to see the tower sections go through very quickly without a hitch.

"There were lots of people on the street watching the spectacle."

The site has been constructed using materials from the Port Talbot steelworks.

Mr McCallum added: "We've been working on the project for 18 years as local volunteers, and we had to pinch ourselves to actually believe it is happening."

Encourage investment

The group is holding a series of events to "encourage people to invest", with the aim to secure another £1m worth of funding.

Members are offered a 5% return on their investment.

It is thought wind power could contribute £2.3bn to the Welsh economy.

The Welsh Government loan £3.55m has helped the project secure a higher level of income from Feed in Tariffs, a payment made to households or businesses that generate their own electricity from renewable resources.