We are pleased to share an update on Y Bryn Wind Farm project, and our plans for the Y Bryn Grid Connection proposals, an important next step in supporting the delivery of clean, renewable energy in Wales.
While we await a decision from Welsh Government on the Y Bryn Wind Farm proposals, we have commenced the early planning stages to confirm the Y Bryn Grid Connection. This marks the beginning of the planning process for the infrastructure that will link the proposed wind farm to the national grid, helping to enable the future generation and delivery of local renewable energy.
The Y Bryn Grid Connection would connect the proposed Y Bryn Wind Farm to the electricity grid at Margam via a cable route passing south-west out from the on-site substation.
The grid connection would enable the wind farm to export renewable electricity (enough to power over 85,700* homes – the equivalent of approximately all households within Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend combined – each year) into the electricity network. This would represent a considerable contribution towards carbon reduction targets in Wales.
Overview of the proposals
The proposed grid connection will run from the southern edge of the Y Bryn Wind Farm site, north of Port Talbot, through Welsh Government Woodland Estate, and down towards the M4 motorway, before linking to the new Margam substation currently under development by National Grid adjacent to the Tata Steelworks. The central and southern sections will be delivered through a combination of wooden poles and steel lattice towers, including infrastructure to carry the cables safely across the motorway and to transform voltage up as necessary.
The proposed route will be designed to have minimal visual impact due to a combination of undergrounding, use of wooden pole pylons, and its location away from residential areas.
The project documents, including the site location plan, are available to view here.
Share your feedback
We are seeking early feedback on our proposals for the grid connection project ahead of our Pre-Application Consultation which is currently planned to take place in early 2026 before submitting an application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
We will be communicating further information about this consultation and how local residents and interested parties can be involved later this year. All information will be available to view on the project website and will be publicised via a number of channels.
The deadline for initial feedback is Wednesday 10 December 2025.
Timeline
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2025
Project inception and early investigative surveys
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Autumn 2025
EIA Scoping and early engagement
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Winter 2025/2026
Statutory consultation and publication of draft planning documents
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Spring 2026
Application submission