Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has seen at first-hand how water from a local river is being used to generate electricity.
He recently visited Ynni Ogwen in Bethesda, Gwynedd, to see how the community hydro scheme operates.
He said:
I was pleased to have the opportunity to visit Ynni Ogwen and see for myself how hydropower is being used to generate electricity.
This community scheme is a cooperative venture and relies on volunteers to help with the project and I was very impressed with what I was shown.
As we strive to find alternative ways of creating power it is good to see a natural resource like water being used in this way.
Ynni Ogwen is a community hydro scheme which uses water abstracted from Afon Ogwen to generate electricity which is directly transmitted to the Scottish Power 3.3kV network.
Hydro Ogwen is a cooperative venture that was developed originally by Partneriaeth Ogwen, Ogwen Partnership and then developed further by Ynni Ogwen Cyf, Ogwen Energy Ltd.
Its aim is to capture the power from the flow of the Ogwen river to produce electrical energy from Hydro technology. The profit gained from this venture will fund other environmental and community projects in the Ogwen Valley. Ynni Ogwen Cyf are the owners and administrators of this project, a Community Benefit Society established to build and run this community Hydro scheme.
During his visit, Sam met with Gareth Jones, chairman of Ynni Ogwen Cyf, who took him down to the river and explained how the water was collected and used to drive the turbine which generates the electricity.
He also spoke with Kate Gilmartin who is the new CEO of The British Hydropower Association and she said:
I was delighted to meet with Sam and highlight the important role that hydropower plays in keeping the lights on and how it is capable of significant expansion to accelerate their journey to net zero and renewed energy security.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ymweld â chynllun hydro cymunedol Ynni Ogwen ym Methesda
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi gweld gyda’i lygaid ei hun sut mae dŵr o afon leol yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gynhyrchu trydan.
Yn ddiweddar, bu’n ymweld ag Ynni Ogwen ym Methesda, Gwynedd, i weld sut mae'r cynllun hydro cymunedol yn gweithio.
Meddai:
Roeddwn i’n falch o gael y cyfle i ymweld ag Ynni Ogwen a gweld drosof fy hun sut mae ynni hydro yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gynhyrchu trydan.
Mae'r cynllun cymunedol hwn yn fenter gydweithredol ac mae'n dibynnu ar wirfoddolwyr i helpu gyda'r prosiect. Fe wnaeth yr hyn a welais argraff fawr arnaf i.
Wrth i ni ymdrechu i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd eraill o gynhyrchu pŵer, mae'n dda gweld adnodd naturiol fel dŵr yn cael ei ddefnyddio fel hyn.
Mae Ynni Ogwen yn gynllun hydro cymunedol sy'n defnyddio dŵr sy'n cael ei dynnu o Afon Ogwen i gynhyrchu trydan a drosglwyddir yn uniongyrchol i rwydwaith 3.3kV Scottish Power.
Mae Hydro Ogwen yn fenter gydweithredol a ddatblygwyd yn wreiddiol gan Partneriaeth Ogwen, ac a ddatblygwyd ymhellach gan Ynni Ogwen Cyf.
Ei nod yw cipio'r pŵer o lif afon Ogwen i gynhyrchu ynni trydanol o dechnoleg Hydro. Bydd elw’r fenter yn ariannu prosiectau amgylcheddol a chymunedol eraill yn Nyffryn Ogwen. Ynni Ogwen Cyf yw perchnogion a gweinyddwyr y prosiect hwn, sef Cymdeithas Budd Cymunedol a sefydlwyd i adeiladu a chynnal y cynllun ynni dŵr cymunedol hwn.
Yn ystod ei ymweliad, cafodd Sam gyfarfod Gareth Jones, cadeirydd Ynni Ogwen Cyf, a aeth ag ef i lawr at yr afon ac egluro sut mae’r dŵr yn cael ei gasglu a'i ddefnyddio i yrru'r tyrbin sy'n cynhyrchu'r trydan.
Siaradodd hefyd gyda Kate Gilmartin, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol newydd Cymdeithas Pŵer Hydro Prydain, a ddywedodd:
Roeddwn i wrth fy modd yn cwrdd â Sam a thynnu sylw at y rôl bwysig mae ynni dŵr yn ei chwarae wrth gyflenwi trydan a sut mae'n gallu ehangu'n sylweddol er mwyn cyflymu ein taith i sero net a diogelwch o’r newydd o ran ein cyflenwad ynni.
