Cefn Croes Windfarm Infrastructure, near Aberystwyth

Upon completion, Cefn Croes was the largest windfarm in the UK with 39 1.5MW turbines. As balance of plant contractor, Jones Bros constructed access roads, turbine bases, the crane bases and the 33Kv cabling.

Jones Bros was also responsible for the safety of the heavy lifting operations of the tower, turbine and blade construction, and for the complex energisation requirements of the 33Kv systems.

The scheme required careful logistical planning due to the number of vehicle movements. Each turbine generated three specialist low-loader movements, the turbine itself weighing 60 tonnes. The turbine deliveries had top priority, and around those we had to move 70,000 tonnes of stone from on-site borrow pits, 10,000m³ of concrete from an on site batching plant, 25,000 tonnes of aggregate and cement deliveries to the batching plant, 600 tonnes of steel reinforcing bar, 75km of medium voltage cable and 20km of fibre optic cable, whilst excavating cable laying and backfilling 15km of cable trench.

All work was carried out in an environmentally sensitive area, and specialist environmental consultants were employed to assist in the creation of an environmental action plan. Key points included sensitive reinstatement of the road verges and crane pads to allow natural regeneration of the existing grasslands and heathers. Measures were taken to prevent damage to peat and marsh habitats where the construction changed natural drainage routes.