THE first council-owned and operated solar farm in Wales has been unveiled.

Wrexham Council’s solar farm in Bronwylfa Road, Legacy, was officially opened by the Mayor of Wrexham Cllr Barbara Roxburgh. 

She unveiled a plaque on the site to mark the occasion.

The farm is the first in Wales to be owned and operated by a local authority. 

It has 8,800 solar panels over 43 acres and saves 1,300 tonnes of CO2 per year.  

It is 2.64MWp in size and is projected to generate annually 2,355 MWh - the equivalent of powering 700 homes per year.

Panels are raised from the ground to allow sheep to graze the land while the farm continues to generate green energy.

Cllr Neil Rogers, the council’s lead member for economic development and regeneration, said: “One of the council’s priorities is to be an environmentally responsible place and I am delighted this farm is now operational and able to support that priority.  

“I would like to thank everyone involved in making this project a success and look forward to seeing more solar fields come online in the future.”

The farm is situated on agricultural land just outside Wrexham town centre and is located next to a dedicated substation supplying the local electricity network.

The solar farm was installed by British Gas, who started work in the middle of January and finished in May.  

Chris Morrison, head of solar at British Gas Business, said: “This project is extremely important – it proves solar energy is a sound investment not just for commercial organisations but also for councils and the public sector in Wales.

“British Gas is committed to supporting organisations of all types to benefit from renewable technology such as solar energy that will provide them with a reliable supply of power, long-term financial returns and significant carbon reduction.”

Wrexham Council leader, Cllr Mark Pritchard, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this very successful project. The first I hope of many in Wrexham as we continue to use every means available to us to reduce our carbon footprint for current and future generations.”

The solar farm opening is one of many carbon reduction initiatives put in place by Wrexham Council over the last few years. It successfully completed the installation of 6,000 photovoltaic panels on council housing stock and introduced energy efficiency measures in schools and council buildings.