Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[Gorgonzola Butt-cheese]

Good news for sustainable shetland

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25210963

[shetlandpeat]

Not good for those projects that have already spent cash on the preparation. As ever, this Gov jumping from one band waggon to another and the cost is paid for by business and community partneships. if SS see this as a victory, they had better hope that Scotland gains independance and is not subject then to legal targets to reduce the carbon footprint and the levies this will attract. Levies the Gov already put on fuel for businesses who do not use renewable wich can increase the cost by 7p a unit.

[sjeunson]

The Northern and Western Isles get a different deal though. Instead of a strike price of £95/MWhr it's £115/MWhr or similar. Not sure what it currently is though.

[MuckleJoannie]

Interesting article for any of you who have or are planning to sell electricity to the Hydro.

 

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/blog-post/home-generated-electricity-business-activity

 

 

A European Court decision has been decided, and remains somewhat ‘under the radar.’ This concerns the VAT treatment of an individual generating electricity and then selling it onto the national grid.

The Austrian individual (Thomas Fuchs) had a photovoltaic installation fixed to the roof of his house. He applied to recover VAT of over ­€6,300 on the installation. The Austrian authorities decided that his activities were not in the course of a business, and denied him the input tax.  The taxpayer appealed, and the matter reached the European Court earlier this year.

The Court held that the definition of ‘economic activities’ was very wide. The Court noted that the individual’s contract with the power network provided that remuneration was provided in return for the supply of electricity. Such income was therefore held to be received on a ‘continuing basis’ (thus fulfilling the relevant part of art 4(2) of the PVD) and must therefore fall within the definition of economic activity. The fact that the amount of electricity produced was consistently less than that consumed by the individual was irrelevant.

Comments

At the time of writing, HMRC have not commented on this case. However, I would suggest the following suggestions:

1. Input tax is deductible on the installation of electricity generation equipment, where it is to be used to generate electricity for re-sale;
2. Where a client uses the Flat Rate Scheme, income from electricity generation must be included in the value of his sales;
3. Where a charity installs electricity generation equipment, with the intention of re-selling the power, that will potentially jeopardise zero-rating on construction work;
4. And doubtless  there will be other implications under direct tax legislation, and even in relation to Council Tax.

[Gorgonzola Butt-cheese]

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/13/scottish-power-cancels-argyll-array-offshore-wind-farm

 

 

So now that actual viability is being sensibly discussed, will 2014 be the year we will be told of the cancellation of the VE project?

 

Followed by those responsible falling on their swords ?

[Gorgonzola Butt-cheese]

From the above guardian topic  

 

"The rate of progress in development of foundation and installation technology has been slower than anticipated.  "

 

Wind farms have stood of the coast of denmark for 20 years and there are purpose built jack up ships  for building offshore wind farms,

[Gorgonzola Butt-cheese]

http://www.swireblueocean.com/

[MuckleJoannie]

I don't know what the rock off Denmark is like, but the rock off Tiree is apparently particularly hard. Also I heard someone say on the radio that the very wind conditions that made it suitable for a wind farm would also make it very hard to build.

[Viking Lass]

This topic seems to have vanished 'beneath the radar' - does this mean that V E and the Charitable Trust have given up the project?

 

Maybe the enormity of this plan to destroy Shetland has hit home at last.

[MuckleJoannie]

Viking energy are still active on Twitter so somebody's still there.

 

https://twitter.com/vikingenergy

 

I saw this this morning, not very environmentally friendly

 

 

Rotor blades from hundreds of wind turbines in Scotland could end up being buried in the ground at the end of their working life, according to a report from council officials.

Because blades are constructed from complex materials, they are more difficult and expensive to recycle than other parts of a turbine.

Now an official report into the decommissioning of turbines has warned that rotors could be destined for landfill when they are no longer useful.

The report, for Aberdeenshire Council’s Garioch area planning committee, which met in Inverurie yesterday, also highlights that there is no UK or European legislation that relates specifically to disposal or recycling of redundant turbines.

 

http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wind-turbine-rotor-blades-destined-for-landfill-1-3268627

[ArabiaTerra]

This topic seems to have vanished 'beneath the radar' - does this mean that V E and the Charitable Trust have given up the project?

 

Maybe the enormity of this plan to destroy Shetland has hit home at last.

 

"plan to destroy Shetland"

 

You see, it's this kind of hysterical ranting that means I have no time for the majority of the anti's. Lies, lies and more lies. It's pathetic.

[paulb]

wonder were the scrap from the old nuclear power stations is getting recycled. mmm which to have buried near you a very difficult one. 

[MuckleJoannie]

You can make a donation towards Susutsinable Shetland's legal fees for the judicial review here

 

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sustainable-shetland/?

 

£3,055 of the £20,000 raised at the time of posting since going live at 10 am yesterday.

[crofter]

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/13/scottish-power-cancels-argyll-array-offshore-wind-farm

 

 

So now that actual viability is being sensibly discussed, will 2014 be the year we will be told of the cancellation of the VE project?

 

Followed by those responsible falling on their swords ?

More bad news from Germany...

 

 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/wind-power-investments-in-germany-proving-riskier-than-thought-a-946367.html

 

But newly released numbers, collected and analyzed over a several-year period, show what disappointed investors have long surmised: Around half of these commercial wind park enterprises are doing so poorly that investors can count themselves lucky if they even get their initial investment back after the 20 year duration.

The study, based on 1,150 annual reports, comes from Werner Daldorf, head of the Investment Committee at the German Wind Energy Association.

 

Over time, Daldorf has collected a vast amount of material, filling shelves and shelves of binders. Taken together, it allows for an unprecedented look at the business affairs of over 170 commercial wind parks over the course of more than 10 years.

The result is sobering. On average, investors have received an annual return of just 2.5 percent. "Over the course of 10 years, that means a return of 25 percent, while according to the prospectus they were to have already seen returns of between 60 and 80 percent," Daldorf says.

 

In a statement on its website last week, Prokon denied running a Ponzi scheme. The company said: “Our projects are merely unconventionally financed.â€

 

The German consumer organization Stiftung Warentest said in a recent statement that Prokon had failed to provide a convincing explanation for its “devastating numbersâ€. The state prosecutor’s office in Lübeck told German news agency DPA last week that it was examining the company.

Prokon, which has about 1,300 employees, said on Wednesday that it had filed for insolvency at the district court in Itzehoe, Schleswig-Holstein.

 

http://www.germerica.com/2014/01/23/german-wind-farm-group-prokon-files-bankruptcy/

[SustainableShetland]

You probably know that in September 2013  Sustainable Shetland won their Judicial Review into the Scottish Government's decision to grant consent for the Viking Energy windfarm on two counts:

 

1) Ministers were incompetent in granting consent for the Viking Windfarm since Viking Energy Partnership did not have a licence to generate electricity

2)Ministers did not properly take account of their obligations under the EU Wild Birds Directive

 

Sustainable Shetland incurred nearly Â£100,000 of legal costs in the process  - raised entirely through fundraising and donations.

 

The Scottish Government has decided to appeal the ruling and, due to the high costs involved, Sustainable Shetland will be challenging the appeal over the EU Wild Birds Directive only. The hearing is at the end of February.

 

Sustainable Shetland is trying to raise £40,000 to cover potential further legal costs. To this end we have launched a fundraising campaign at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sustainable-shetland and if you are opposed to this development we would be most grateful for your support.  Please share this information.