Timeline

How have hydro plans developed?

2004 Coetir Mynydd completed purchase of Coed y Parc dam and surrounding woodland
2005 Scoping of dam repairs
2006 Failed to secure funds (£90,000) to undertake dam repairs from Aggregates Levy – decided to undertake repairs at same time as installing hydro to share costs and also to secure a long term income against maintenance costs.
Installed level sensor at dam to estimate flow regime on river (funded by First Hydro) – early results suggested 10 kW possible from Coed y Parc dam.
2007 Initial approaches to The Environment Agency, Gwynedd Council etc. No specific grants available for community micro-hydro – unsuccessful applications for funding to E-On and First Hydro to support feasibility studies.
2008 No sources of funding for hydro development identified.
2009 Scoping report for restoring and using original waterwheels at Felin Fawr – general conclusion was the infrastructure is too derelict to restore and would only produce modest amounts of power (6-10 kW).
2010 Dulas pre-feasibility report funded by Environment Wales looked at two options:
• Intake on Coed y Parc dam 12-15 kW
• Intake on Llyn Pen Bont dam (above Amana bridge) 100 kW
Decided to explore further options completely within Coetir Mynydd land to avoid problems locating and negotiating with neighbouring landowners.
2011 Dulas Feasibility study funded by Waterloo Foundation. This considered two options for intake at dam or inflow into the reservoir. Neither were considered financially viable
Option of installing a domestic scale 5kW scheme at low cost to generate a low level income was outlined.
2012 Purchase of plot of land at bottom of woods – this is primarily for conservation but has a derelict garage which is ideally sited to serve as a turbine house for a hydro.
2014 Re-initiation of work on hydro as other community ventures shown to be viable.
Funding from Ynni’r Fro to commission Ellergreen to conduct pre-feasibility study to reconsider the high head option proposed by Dulas in 2010.
Pre-application enquiry for abstraction license (NRW) and initial planning enquiry (Gwynedd Council) made – no major objections raised, specific surveys requested to accompany applications.
Obtained Grid connection offer from SPEN.
2015 Funding obtained from Community Investment Fund (Mantell Gwynedd) to conduct village consultation on hydro scheme and from Ynni Lleol for feasibility study.
2016 Funding released in October by Ynni Lleol and held over by Mantell Gwynedd.
2017 Community consultation