Work to start on turbines' footings.

WORKERS are starting to put in foundations for 160 giant turbines in a windfarm off the coast.

Builders at RWE npower renewables are constructing the Gwynt y Mr cluster ten miles off Pensarn in Liverpool Bay. The company said the first of 160 wind turbines will begin to be installed beginning with the foundations today subject to weather conditions.

Each foundation consists of a steel pole between 60 and 70 metres long and up to seven metres wide and an access platform.

In May this year, the foundations for the wind farm's two offshore substations, the first components to become visible out at sea, were put in.

The turbines themselves are due to be built in Spring 2013.

Once operational, Gwynt y Mr could generate 400,000MW of energy from the wind - the equivalent of the needs of almost a third of the total homes in Wales, and more than all the homes across North Wales. RWE claims that Gwynt y Mr's construction so far has already provided work for hundreds of workers and "generated over pounds 80million economic prosperity for Welsh businesses."

RWE says once fully operational it will help create at least another 100 long term, skilled engineering jobs "throughout its operational lifetime".

RWE npower renewables' Gwynt y Mr Project Director, Toby Edmonds called the foundation phase a "key milestone".

Welcoming the latest work, Conwy County Cllr Jean Stubbs, of Pensarn, said: "I'm for windfarms. They could put them all round Britain as far as I'm concerned. We have to have clean energy."

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160 turbines will be erected