Swansea North Rhigos
About this Project
Swansea North Rhigos is Empower Projects’ largest single project by total capacity, combining 560 MWp of solar, 400 MW of battery energy storage, and 400 MW of wind generation, with a 2037 connection target on the National Grid transmission circuit bearing the same name.
The project takes its title from the Swansea North to Rhigos Supergrid circuit, a named 400kV transmission link that connects the Rhigos 400kV substation in Rhondda Cynon Taf directly to the Swansea North 400kV substation near Morriston. This circuit already serves Vattenfall’s 228 MW Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm and its co-located BESS, establishing the area’s credentials as a proven location for large-scale renewable generation. At 1,360 MW of combined installed capacity, Swansea North Rhigos would be one of the most ambitious hybrid energy projects in Welsh energy history.
Planning Status and Milestones
Planning has not yet commenced. Gate 2 has not been submitted. Solar and wind land searches are ongoing. At this scale, the project would be subject to Development Consent Order (DCO) consenting by the UK Secretary of State rather than the Welsh planning system, as it exceeds the 350 MW NSIP threshold for onshore generation in Wales. Grid offer securities and connection costs will be confirmed in the Gate 2 offer once submitted. The current grid offer value is approximately £7.2 million.
Connection Details
The project connects to the National Grid 400kV network via the Swansea North to Rhigos Supergrid circuit, with export and import capacity of 400 MVA. The current grid offer value is approximately £7.2 million, with full Gate 2 securities to follow. The Rhigos 400kV substation already provides a proven connection point for large-scale generation, stepping up from 132kV for the existing wind farm. The Swansea North 400kV substation, located near Morriston, has recently undergone a significant upgrade with new GIS installation, though it faces increasing demand from multiple new connection applications.
Site and Surrounding Area
The site area is centred on the Rhigos plateau at the head of the Cynon Valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The area sits at the northern edge of the South Wales Valleys, immediately adjacent to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Aberdare lies approximately 5 miles southeast, Hirwaun village is immediately adjacent, and Neath is approximately 10 miles southwest. The landscape carries a profound industrial heritage: Tower Colliery, Wales’s last deep coal mine, closed on this plateau in 2008, and the broader area was shaped by over two centuries of coal extraction. Existing smaller solar farms at Bryngolwg and Rhigos Road, built on former coal mining land, demonstrate the site’s proven suitability for renewable energy development.
Current Status
Planning
Not
Started
Land
Land Search Ongoing
(Solar & Wind)
Grid Offer
Offer Accepted (Gate
2 Pending)
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