Representation by Jonathan Keith Lomas
- Date submitted
- 2 March 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The marketing from Sunnica includes: Sunnica Energy Farm is being brought forward by Sunnica Limited – a joint venture between two established solar developers, Tribus Energy and PS Renewables. Together, the Scheme partners have assembled an experienced team with a strong track record of delivering high quality solar and energy storage developments. In fact, Sunnica Ltd is technically insolvent £(423,669) with its level of insolvency increasing every year. Tribus Energy has minimal assets and PS Renewables does not trade and has total assets of just £2. Sunnica Farm Ltd, Sunnica Energy Ltd, and Sunnica Energy Farm Ltd are all dormant companies with total assets of just £1 each. This information is from their latest filings at Companies House and these companies are linked by two common directors and shareholders:[Redacted] . This ‘joint venture’ is simply the same people. Financial justification and having the financing in place may not be required for a planning application, but it is genuinely concerning that no proof of provision of decommissioning and clear up has been submitted. Using Sunnica’s own marketing information, that is likely to cost into £hundreds of millions. These companies clearly have nowhere near the wherewithal to finance a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (“NSIP”). Even if they could arrange to borrow £hundreds of millions or £billions they would still have no net assets, apart from planning permission, just the loans and large new debt. The project mentions decommissioning in ‘at least 40 years’ but that assumes the companies involved remain afloat, in existence and with the funds (£hundreds of millions) and intent to fully decommission and clear up the massive sites – 2,792 acres to clear. Nothing on this scale has ever been endeavoured or achieved in the UK. Such decommissioning may not be in 40+ years but anytime from launch onwards as the scheme, and companies behind it, could easily fail. Insolvent companies cannot clear up sites. Clear up costs are far too big for Councils’ budgets so unless the Government is prepared to underwrite the entire scheme from day one there is a good chance of an absolute ecological and financial disaster, unprecedented in the UK with a scheme purporting to be a green initiative. There is an argument for a reduction in scale to facilitate approval of the scheme. However, the sums involved are so large that even if the scheme were reduced by, say, three quarters the decommissioning and clear up which will be required, although no-one knows when, would still be way out of the reach of the landowners and Council budgets. It would still require Government underwriting to ensure no disaster. Private enterprise could finance the clear up but, for certainty, that would require £hundreds of millions to be deposited upfront in Escrow and left there potentially for many decades. That is unrealistic, hence the responsibility being back on the Government. If the scheme is approved, without Government underwriting there is significant risk of a massive disaster.