RCT Council has submitted planning applications for two exciting hydro-electric schemes in Treforest and Aberdare, which both put forward innovative proposals to contribute to the Council’s carbon reduction targets.
The respective schemes are planned for the Treforest Weir and Dare Valley Country Park, with the Council proposing an investment in new infrastructure that will use the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity. The schemes would intend to contribute towards the Council’s goal of increasing renewable energy generation, as well as its wider climate change commitments that are set out in the Corporate Plan (2024-2030).
Following the planning submissions, both schemes have now been added to the RCT Planning Portal. The relevant applications for Treforest Weir can be found here and here, with Dare Valley Country Park included here. As part of the planning consideration process, residents can comment on the proposals at this stage. Any comments received will be taken into account and will help inform the Planning and Development Committee’s consideration of the applications when they are presented for determination at a future meeting.
Outline proposals for both schemes have been discussed by the Council’s Climate Change Cabinet Sub-Committee in December 2022, and most-recently in March 2024.
Treforest Weir proposed hydro-electric scheme
The Grade II-Listed weir is positioned around 100-metres south of the footbridge over the River Taff in the centre of Treforest. It is approximately 50-metres wide, with around 3-metres between upper and lower water levels. The proposal is categorised as a ‘low-head’ system with a fall in height of up to 3-metres.
The basic proposal involves removing the existing fish pass (to the west of the weir) to make space for the hydro-power infrastructure. A modern fish pass would be installed with equal or better performance.
The scheme has the potential to generate more than 1,110MWh of electricity annually, that can primarily be used by Council assets. Any surplus electricity can be exported to the grid. Officers have been working with appointed hydro consultants to produce preliminary designs and site surveys, while the overall scheme will also require relevant Natural Resources Wales (NRW) permissions.
Dare Valley Country Park proposed hydro-electric scheme
The proposal would develop a 50kW micro scheme along the Dare River at Dare Valley Country Park, just north of Aberdare. The scheme would generate around 193MWh of electricity per year – 80% of which will be used directly by the hotel and visitor centre. The remaining 20% can be exported to the grid.
The proposal focuses on two large ponds north-west of the visitor centre, and the basic concept would install an intake on the upper pond’s existing weir. The proposal includes various installations, including a chamber at the upper lake and pipework/cabling between locations. A powerhouse would be built on the northwest corner of the lower pond, to include a turbine, generator and control system. Water would be returned to the lower pond from the powerhouse.
A full ecological assessment was undertaken by external consultants, and officers believe the proposal can produce a positive outcome for biodiversity through careful mitigation. Preliminary designs and site surveys are complete, with focus placed on maintaining the area’s current use. A technical advisor is appointed to support the scheme, which also requires relevant NRW permissions.
Councillor Christina Leyshon, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change, said: “These proposals for the Treforest Weir and Dare Valley Country Park demonstrate the Council’s innovative approach to carbon reduction and producing cleaner energy. In simple terms, they each propose to use naturally flowing water to generate electricity, that will then be used to power Council assets. In this regard, it is similar to the Taff’s Well Thermal Spring, which uses naturally-produced warm water and converts it into energy for a primary school teaching block nearby.
“The Council is very committed to its climate change goals and responsibilities – our Corporate Plan acknowledges that delivering upon these is our greatest challenge as an organisation, while a Corporate Decarbonisation Strategy was formally adopted by the Climate Change Cabinet sub-Committee in 2023. To achieve our ambitious targets we must invest in clean energy generation, which is why the Treforest and Aberdare projects have been in development.
“With the planning submissions now completed for both projects, I’d urge interested residents to access more information on the Council’s Planning Portal – including project overviews and key documents. All feedback that is received will then be considered when the respective applications are formally considered at a future meeting of the Planning and Development Committee.”
