The new wind turbines which are located on Oakdale Wind Energy Park are the result of collaboration between Caerphilly County Council and Partnership for Renewables (PfR), a developer established in 2007 to focus on the development of wind energy schemes on public sector land.
It is estimated that the energy produced by the two new turbines will be enough to power around 2,400 homes, but there are also plans for some of the electricity to be sold directly to a local business at a reduced rate as part of efforts to help boost the local economy.
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And, as with many renewable energy projects, the turbines will deliver genuine benefits into the heart of the community, with the community expected to gain £10,000 a year for the life of the project
Speaking at the event, Alun Davies said: "Wales is very fortunate to be rich in energy resource. I am determined that we will work innovatively and collaboratively to maximise the long term economic benefits of that resource to Wales and to deliver my ambitions around green growth.
"The project that I am visiting today shows exactly what can be achieved through positive partnership working and is also an excellent example of how local communities can directly benefit from renewable energy projects."
During his visit, the Minister also announced that he had published a new report which gathered information on all the low carbon energy projects operating in Wales at the end of 2012.
The report shows that by the end of 2012 there were over 36,000 renewable energy projects in Wales, generating an estimated 2,719 Gigawatt Hour (GWh) and delivering an annual saving of more than 1.2m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
It also shows that by the end of 2012 the generation potential from low carbon projects reached almost 5.5TWH, providing 35% of Wales' national electricity consumption and 1% of its gas consumption.
(CD/JP)
