Welsh Water has secured a £250 million loan from the European Investment Bank for renewable energy.

The water firm currently generates 20% of its power from green sources such as wind, hydro, solar and anaerobic digestion.

The loan is expected to help increase that to 30% by 2019.

One of Welsh Water’s projects include the transformation of Five Fords wastewater treatment works into an energy park, incorporating solar and hydro and the UK’s first project to inject biomethane gas into the national gas distribution network.

An advanced AD plant is also being developed onsite, which once complete will use the waste the site treats to generate enough energy to supply around 3,000 homes.

Peter Bridgewater, Welsh Water’s Finance and Commercial Director said: “As a company without any shareholders, our sole focus is on providing the best possible service to our customers at the most affordable. To deliver this, we must manage challenges such as accessing funding for our investment programmes at a competitive rate as well as continuing to drive down costs as we make the company more efficient.”

The EIB has lent more than £800 million to Welsh Water since 2001.