The developers
The companies behind the wind farms
Whilst a large number of companies and individuals ranging from carpetbaggers to major energy suppliers are actively promoting wind farm projects in Wales, currently only 5 have plans in the Heart of Wales
Bute Energy
Bute Energy is unique in that despite having 11 current projects in mid Wales, neither the company nor its principals have ever built a wind farm before. The company is controlled by Oliver Millican, a Scottish property developer, who owns 88% of the shares with the remaining 12% owned by his co directors. Finance in the form of development loans is provided by a Luxembourg fund CI V managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Investments, a Danish venture capital group. In 2023 the fund acquired a call option giving it the option to acquire the shares in the Bute wind farms at the start of construction.
Galileo Empower
The company was formed in 2020 as GGE Nordics and its name changed to Galileo Empower in November 2023. 80% of the company is controlled by Ingmar Wilhelm, a German renewables entrepreneur and HRL Morrison a New Zealand infrastructure investment company. The remaining 20% is controlled by Diarmuid Twomey, an Irish businessman. The company’s only proposed project in the Heart of Wales is currently the 175 MW Bryn Cadwgan “energy park” with 25 turbines 230m tall located 10 miles south of Tregaron
Belltown
Belltown Power UK was formed in 2015 as a subsidiary of Belltown Group (formerly Belltown Power) however apart from a couple of name changes remained dormant until 2020. In September 2020 69.88% of the shares in the company were sold as part of a management buyout with significant control passing to Andrew Black and Paul Hewitt. The company has a registered charge against it in respect of borrowings from Belltown Lender a company registered in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The company’s only project in mid Wales is currently the 6 turbine 25.2 MW 230m tall Waun Maenllwyd wind farm adjacent to the proposed Galileo Bryn Cadwgan and Bute Blaencothi projects.
EDF
EDF renewables is a whole owned subsidiary of the state owned French utility EDF Group. and unlike the other developers listed will actually be involved in the generation of electricity. The company’s only current proposed project in mid Wales is the 85MW Garn Fach wind farm with 17 turbines 150m tall located south of Newtown. The company has a slightly chequered history and in 2023 was fined £5.5 million by Offgen for overcharging the grid when it was asked to reduce its output at the Dorenell windfarm in Scotland
Wind 2
Wind 2 was formed in 2016 and has been involved with a number of relatively small renewable projects in Scotland. It is based in Mold in Flintshire and owned by Gerry and Paula Jewson. The company has established collaborative partnerships with Octopus Energy Generation and EDP Renewables whereby its function is to identify potential sites and obtain planning permission before passing them on to its partners for development. Currently its only proposed project in mid Wales is for a wind farm at Banc y Celyn - a popular walking and riding area 4 miles south of Builth Wells. No details on the exact location or size of the project are currently available
