North Wales projects awarded more than £500,000 for clean energy improvements
Coleg Cambria and the Welsh Blood Service in Wrexham and Bangor will benefit from funding to cut energy costs and carbon emissions.
Two organisations in North Wales are set to receive more than £500,000 in Welsh Government funding to help cut energy costs and carbon emissions.
Coleg Cambria and Velindre University NHS Trust are among 24 organisations across Wales sharing £8.27 million through the third round of the Welsh Government's Ynni Cymru programme.
At Coleg Cambria's Northop campus in Flintshire, the funding will support renewable energy and smart energy technology.
The campus is home to the college's Small Animal Centre, where hundreds of students study animal care and land-based subjects, alongside more than 200 species.
Elis, a Level 3 Animal Management student at the centre, said: “Sustainability is something that's really important to me, so it's exciting to see the college investing in renewable energy and reducing its environmental impact.”
They added: “Being able to see these technologies working in real life will help bring our learning to life and give us valuable experience for the future.”
The technology will allow students to access real-time energy data as part of their studies, helping them develop practical skills in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is also expected to reduce running costs, allowing more money to be reinvested into education and student support.
Meanwhile, Velindre University NHS Trust will use funding to improve energy efficiency at Welsh Blood Service sites in Wrexham and Bangor.
The plans include installing solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points.
The Welsh Blood Service collects around 100,000 blood donations every year and supplies blood products to hospitals across Wales.
The improvements are expected to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of both sites, support future developments at Wrexham, including a planned donor facility, and help the service move towards using electric vehicles.
Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, Adam Price, said: “I'm delighted that organisations across North Wales are benefiting from this latest round of Ynni Cymru funding.”
He said the projects showed how clean energy could support services people rely on every day, “whether that's helping students develop the skills needed for future careers or supporting healthcare services that make a vital contribution to patient care across Wales”.
Mr Price added: “Ynni Cymru is delivering the Welsh Government's vision for greener, cheaper energy, owned and used by people and communities across Wales.”
The Ynni Cymru programme supports communities, businesses and public services to generate and use their own clean energy.
Since launching in 2023, it has supported more than 80 projects across Wales. The latest round brings total investment through the programme to more than £31 million.