The British Wind Energy Association’s Welsh chapter, BWEA Cymru, welcomes the announcement and says the wind turbine tower factory could create 240 new jobs in Monmouthshire.

BWEA Cymru warns, however, that the success of renewable technology manufacturing in Wales depends on onshore wind farms gaining planning permission.

BWEA Cymru says Wales must not squander the golden opportunity to establish wind energy manufacturing by continuing to frustrate planning consents for onshore wind farms.

The recent study, Wind Energy in Wales – State of the Industry Report 2009, showed that the rate of planning determination for wind farms in Wales is slow, while the approval rate is patchy.

During the last four years wind farm developers have had to wait an average of 21 months for decisions on planning applications.

You can download the report if you look to the right of this web page [ed.].