Jones Bros in attendance as major Welsh Government wind farm proposals are announced11th Jul 2025

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK was given front row access as three new wind farm proposals were announced by Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, a publicly owned renewable energy developer for Wales.

The trio of sites with the potential to generate up to 400MW of clean electricity – enough to power 350,000 Welsh homes’ annual average needs – are Clocaenog Dau Wind Farm, Glyn Cothi Wind Farm and Carreg Wen Wind Farm.

The wind farms in Denbighshire and Conwy, Carmarthenshire, and Rhondda Cynon Taf respectively, mark a significant step towards Trydan’s ambition to develop 1GW of new renewable energy generation capacity on Welsh public land by 2040.

The proposed wind farms are:

• Clocaenog Dau: Up to 22 turbines, generating up to 132MW
• Glyn Cothi: Up to 27 turbines, generating up to 162MW
• Carreg Wen: Up to 18 turbines, generating up to 108MW

Jones Bros was invited to the official launch, which featured an address by cabinet secretary for economy, energy, and planning, Rebecca Evans, given its work in the sector, the company notably the principal contractor on RWE’s 27-turbine Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm.

The Ruthin-headquartered firm’s contracts director Eryl Roberts, who was joined at Llyn Brenig Visitor Centre by head of new business Mike Jones and sub agent Hari Evans, said: “It was a real privilege to have been invited to an announcement of this magnitude.

“As a company, we are passionate about renewable energy. We’ve been involved in the construction of wind farms for more than 20 years, including Clocaenog Forest, Brenig, and Pen y Cymoedd, as well as tidal and battery storage schemes in Wales.

“There is a real need for more investment in the sector, so to hear about Trydan’s plans for three new wind farms is wonderful news for the country.”

Another topic on the agenda was how the proposals would positively impact job opportunities and skills development throughout Wales.

Mike said: “As a company that runs higher apprenticeship and trainee operative schemes, it’s brilliant to learn about Trydan’s renewable energy projects.

“Jones Bros has always been determined to provide opportunities for young people to develop skills in our industry, and a trio of wind farms being built will only serve to strengthen the talent pool in Wales.”

Hari, who worked on both Clocaenog Forest and Brenig wind farms, said: “It’s wonderful to hear about the schemes and how they will benefit civil engineers, both experienced and new to the sector.

“Renewable energy is a hot topic, so to have three wind farms earmarked for construction in Wales is fantastic.”

The wind farms will be developed on the Welsh Government’s woodland estate, which covers 126,000 hectares, and contains some of the country’s best potential sites for renewable energy generation.

Cutting Wales’ carbon emissions is a key commitment of the Welsh Government, which aims for the country to generate enough renewable electricity to meet 70 per cent of what’s used by 2030, rising to 100 per cent by 2035.

Rebecca Evans MS said: “These proposals demonstrate our commitment to harnessing Wales’ abundant natural resources to generate clean energy while ensuring the benefits are felt locally.

“By developing these projects on the Welsh Government woodland estate, we’re making best use of our public land to tackle the climate emergency and create sustainable economic opportunities.”

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited hundreds of apprentices over the years.