Powering education and healthcare across North Wales

Two organisations in North Wales are set to benefit from more than £500,000 through the latest round of Ynni Cymru funding, helping them reduce energy costs, lower carbon emissions and direct more resources towards students, patients and the communities they support.

The projects are among 24 organisations across Wales set to receive a share of £8.27 million through the programme's third round of funding.

In north-east Wales, Coleg Cambria is helping prepare the next generation for a greener future. The college operates five campuses across Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire.

Following previous Ynni Cymru investment at the college's Yale campus in Wrexham, the latest funding will support renewable energy and smart energy technologies at the Northop campus in Flintshire. Home to Coleg Cambria's Small Animal Centre, the campus supports hundreds of students each year studying animal care and land-based subjects, while providing a home for more than 200 species.

Students will be able to use real-time data from the system as part of their studies, helping them develop practical skills in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The project will help reduce running costs, allowing more money to be reinvested into education and student support, while also creating a healthier environment for both students and animals.

The project will help reduce running costs, allowing more money to be reinvested into education and student support, while also creating a healthier environment for both students and animals.

Funding has also been awarded to Velindre University NHS Trust to improve energy efficiency at two Welsh Blood Service sites in North Wales, in Wrexham and Bangor. The Welsh Blood Service collects around 100,000 blood donations every year and supplies blood products to hospitals across Wales.

The funding will be used to install solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points, helping improve the efficiency, resilience and sustainability of both sites.

The investment will support future developments at the Wrexham site, including a planned donor facility, while Bangor serves as an important operational base for donor teams working across North Wales. It will also help support the Welsh Blood Service's transition towards electric vehicles and NHS Wales' net zero ambitions.

Ynni Cymru is a Welsh Government programme that helps communities, businesses and public services create and use their own clean energy. It supports projects that help lower energy bills and bring benefits to local areas.

Since launching in 2023, the programme has supported more than 80 projects across Wales. This third round of funding will provide £8.27 million to 24 organisations, including two projects in North Wales, bringing total investment through Ynni Cymru to more than £31 million.

Elis, a Level 3 Animal Management student at Coleg Cambria's Small Animal Centre, said:

“I love being able to work with the animals and learn practical skills every day.

“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.

“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.”

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.

“These projects demonstrate how clean energy can support the 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.

“Ynni Cymru is delivering the Welsh Government's vision for greener, cheaper energy, owned and used by people and communities across Wales.”