RWE has secured planning consent from the Welsh government for the 60MW Alwen Forest wind farm in north Wales.
The project will feature nine turbines of up to 200 metres in height across Conwy and Denbighshire near Alwen Reservoir, with a grid connection planned via Clocaenog Forest substation.
RWE said the scheme will generate electricity equivalent to the needs of 70,600 homes and could be its first project in Wales to include local ownership through a community benefit society in partnership with Community Energy Wales.
Martin Cole, RWE project manager, said: “Consent for the Alwen Forest Wind Farm is a significant achievement and underscores RWE’s unwavering commitment to deliver sustainable energy solutions while prioritising environmental stewardship and community engagement.”
RWE said construction could begin in 2027 subject to a final investment decision.
The project is expected to create or safeguard about 270 jobs in the UK supply chain, of which around 207 would be in Wales.
Over its 30-year lifetime the wind farm will sustain about 26 jobs, while an estimated £9.5m of the £37m UK construction spend is expected to be retained locally.
Ben Ferguson, co-executive director at Community Energy Wales, said: “This investment opportunity will significantly increase the economic return to local communities over decades, a positive move forward in the relationship between the large renewable energy projects being developed to meet net zero, and the communities which host them.”
RWE is also developing other onshore schemes in Wales, including Pen March, Abertillery, Carnedd Wen and Gaerwen, alongside the Awel y Môr offshore project and new solar developments.