| The event was organised to coincide with IMechE 175th anniversary. A video film was made during the course of the event for promoting the type of events that the Regions arrange and to encourage young members to take an active part in regional activities. Also some interviews were conducted to include with the final video. Some filming was conducted earlier in the day to ensure that lighting conditions were favourable for the final video. The meeting point was at the Cefnfaes community hub in Bethesda at 17:00. A light buffet was arranged before presentations by the Ynni Ogwen team on the background, building and operational aspects of this important community project. Speaker 1 Mel Davies, Chief officer of Partneriaeth Ogwen, a social enterprise group comprising three community councils. Mel explained how the Ynni Ogwen project developed, the feasibility stages, project financing and licensing as a small hydro plant, to be owned and operated by the community. All the financing was raised through a community share offer. The hydro now acts as a catalyst to bring more social projects to the area, including EV vehicles, community workshops as well as extending generation to include solar panels on a number of community buildings Speaker 2 Gareth Cemlyn Jones, Ynni Ogwen Chairman. A presentation on the building of the hydro and the operational challenges faced with operating and maintaining the plant as well as related issues such as administering the export and coordinating a volunteer team. Following the presentations, the participants were taken down to the Ogwen river in two electric vehicles, to visit the hydro plant. The visit finished about 19:45. Questions and answers suggested that there was considerable interest in the work carried out. Feedback forms and e nails received subsequently confirm that the event was well received by all who attended. A couple of unfortunate ‘no shows’ but on the whole most of the people that registered managed to make the event. Gareth C Jones 16th Sept 2022 |