One of the project's aims has been to make a direct contribution to the life of the local community. NWP
and Amgen have established a community fund - Cronfa Eleri - which will contribute over £10,000 a
year to local community projects over the life of the wind farm. This figure increases annually at the rate of inflation and will
result in a total investment of about a quarter of a million pounds. This fund is used to promote the social,
educational and cultural life of the locality which is centred on Mynydd Gorddu.
Each year, the Cronfa Eleri Committee consider applications received from numerous local projects requesting
financial assistance. Some of the projects that have benefited to date include:
Talybont Playschool, Penrhyncoch Village Hall, Horeb Chapel, Penbontrhydybeddau playing fields and
Penhyncoch Sports Association.
The Local Environment
The wind farm is located on a plateau at an altitude of about 300m above sea level.
The land is owned by five local farming families and continues to be used predominantly for grazing sheep.
The wind farm provides a valuable source of additional income for the farmers in the form of ground rent.
There is a nature reserve on Mynydd Gorddu Wind Farm designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
which includes a wild flower meadow and a lake which once supplied water to a lead mine and
is now home to an increasing population of whooper swans in the winter.
The expected life span of the turbines is about 20 years, after which the wind farm can be decommissioned,
or, subject to planning consent, the turbines could be replaced with new models for another 20 years
of operation.