The Truth - Cleve Hill Solar Park
The Truth - Cleve Hill Solar Park
The Issue
There are grave concerns over the process by which the Secretary of State for Business made the decision to allow the intended development of Cleve Hill solar park to proceed next year. There are innumerable key issues pertaining to this intended development of the largest solar park on the planet inclusive of its effect on nature in the area and why multiple solar parks of smaller size couldn't be built and distributed across areas of the country. However, the most critical ones are listed below.
A great deal of research into this was performed by members of The Faversham Society, GREAT (Graveney Rural Environment Action Group) and The Faversham Eye, and a vast amount of detail obtained relating to the intended developer, the inherent dangers of what is planned and a great deal of other information. What appears to have been realised is that the bulk of this has not been factored into the objections raised at parliamentary level, and therefore due process has failed to be adhered to around an absolutely critical decision-making process.
Please see the key concerns below.
Key Concerns
The Developer (Wirsol)
There are already major concerns relating to the design to be implemented. Wirsol is due to be sued in the High Court later this year 'for gross negligence and reckless misconduct' concerning far smaller solar parks they have built prior to this - nowhere near the intended size of Cleve Hill. In May 2017 Wirsol sold 19 solar parks to Toucan Energy, however Toucan Energy are now suing Wirsol over these parks with a claim for £41 million. Wirsol are counter-suing Toucan for £8.7 million. The Toucan documents illustrate that problems were exhibited very early on since the solar farms failed to produce the output claimed by Wirsol. They would trip out and overheat leading to a "significant risk of fire".
The Toucan claim outlines numerous examples of poor and shoddy workmanship where high-voltage equipment was subject to "excessive humidity, water build-up, condensation, leakage through the covers and moisture being sucked in from the outside". In addition, the Toucan suit claims that water was getting in from the cable pits below the substations, which contained water although they should not. Of even greater concern, the claim states that the substations did not comply with mandates laid down by the International Electrochemical Commission.
Lithium Ion Batteries
Wirsol plan on using lithium ion batteries with Cleve Hill Solar Park, which are known to burst spontaneously into flames as it's a by-product of the technology. Once this occurs, they produce a "thermal runway", 75' long horizontal flames ensuring that the fire spreads extremely quickly. The fire also generates huge clouds of hydrogen fluoride, known to be one of the world's most toxic gases. The only means of extinguishing the fire is with water, however this simply produces even more gas in addition to copious amounts of acid. This then proceeds to eat through whatever steel and concrete is being used to house the batteries. The gas will, of course, go whichever way the wind is blowing maiming and killing everything it encounters.
Insurance
As a solar farm alone the returns for Cleve Hill are marginal, especially in the current climate when investors will be significantly more cautious than before. It only becomes profitable with the addition of the batteries described above. What became clear at the planning hearings was that the developers had not factored in the cost of insurance premiums against fire and the potential catastrophic loss of life, personal injury and property damage. Given the risks identified during the process the annual premium will be many millions of pounds.
Before issuing a policy, any insurer will likely look at the worst case scenario. Given the size of the proposed battery farm, if a fire takes hold it will takes days to extinguish. The release of poison gas and acid puts this on a par with a nuclear accident. The current annual premium for a US nuclear power station is $375 million. Even if the insurance premiums are a fraction of this, Cleve Hill is clearly a very high-risk investment.
It should also be noted that in their application form the developers (Wirsol) stated that they would "construct, operate and maintain" the Cleve Hill solar installation, however the company accounts tell a very different story. Wirsol's accounts state that the "principal activity of the group and the company is to design and build solar energy parks for resale". Nowhere is it stated that Wirsol will make an exception for Cleve Hill. Instead, it refers to the company’s 2019 Financial Plan which is for the "ongoing acquisition, funding, build and sale of the UK solar parks".
Representation
There is significant concern that our MP, Helen Whately, was not listened to by Parliament when attempting to make an argument against Cleve Hill. A quote from a Faversham resident states "I with others went to Parliament and met with Helen Whateley as she opposed the solar park / battery factory. However, the debate requested by Helen Whately was stifled in the house by the process of Brexit at the end of last year, so there has not been proper Parliamentary consideration of this project and its real implications as precedent, or its true dangers". If this is the case, is the decision legitimate given that she was the area's sole parliamentary representative and clearly wasn't permitted to voice our concerns?
There are also significant concerns raised by others who have monitored her campaign against the solar park, that she consistently failed to mention the glaring issues of the lithium ion batteries and other key issues reported in detail by The Faversham Eye.
Lack of Involvement of Kent Fire and Rescue Service
There are many concerning factors around the quality of the consultation and the Secretary of State's decision, of which one is that the Kent Fire and Rescue Service were not involved at any point in the consultation and have stated so on 13th February 2020 long after the consultation finished. (Please see the following link: https://favershamsociety.org/category/cleve-hill/?fbclid=IwAR17r0b6YYNqHr0Y92bvNs31-fqY4HrpKvBHzjGQjsVI24tLC0PnAXF6RaQ The Kent and Medway Fire Authority were described by the NIPI here as a 'Non-Interested Party' when they requested to be involved - this is clearly not acceptable given what has been described above. (https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk After the terrible Grenfell Tower disaster, it certainly raises serious worries that concerns about safety seem to be treated so bureaucratically rather than centrally in the consultation.
Flooding
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) as a gas is lighter than air until water is introduced which can then produce Hydrofluoric Acid, which is heavier than air. This element will then boil at room temperature in addition to being highly poisonous to everything it touches or that breathes it. If this is indeed heavier than air than every low-lying area would potentially suffer catastrophic consequences - both human and animal. The Swale Estuary is a protected site as far can be recalled and contains some of the rarest oysters amongst other things within it, which includes the Black Oyster. In addition, a large colony of grey seals exist within the estuary and the bird life provides a site of significant importance to bird migration. If a catastrophic issue occurred with the lithium ion batteries as mentioned above these would doubtless be wiped out in the blink of an eye.
It should be noted that this is a highlighted area for the risk of flooding from the sea in the future, albeit a medium to low risk but clearly validated by the official GOV. UK website. The Graveney and Seasalter areas often receive flood warnings to their detriment and in conjunction with the effects of the lithium ion batteries this could be exceptionally disastrous.
The Issue
There are grave concerns over the process by which the Secretary of State for Business made the decision to allow the intended development of Cleve Hill solar park to proceed next year. There are innumerable key issues pertaining to this intended development of the largest solar park on the planet inclusive of its effect on nature in the area and why multiple solar parks of smaller size couldn't be built and distributed across areas of the country. However, the most critical ones are listed below.
A great deal of research into this was performed by members of The Faversham Society, GREAT (Graveney Rural Environment Action Group) and The Faversham Eye, and a vast amount of detail obtained relating to the intended developer, the inherent dangers of what is planned and a great deal of other information. What appears to have been realised is that the bulk of this has not been factored into the objections raised at parliamentary level, and therefore due process has failed to be adhered to around an absolutely critical decision-making process.
Please see the key concerns below.
Key Concerns
The Developer (Wirsol)
There are already major concerns relating to the design to be implemented. Wirsol is due to be sued in the High Court later this year 'for gross negligence and reckless misconduct' concerning far smaller solar parks they have built prior to this - nowhere near the intended size of Cleve Hill. In May 2017 Wirsol sold 19 solar parks to Toucan Energy, however Toucan Energy are now suing Wirsol over these parks with a claim for £41 million. Wirsol are counter-suing Toucan for £8.7 million. The Toucan documents illustrate that problems were exhibited very early on since the solar farms failed to produce the output claimed by Wirsol. They would trip out and overheat leading to a "significant risk of fire".
The Toucan claim outlines numerous examples of poor and shoddy workmanship where high-voltage equipment was subject to "excessive humidity, water build-up, condensation, leakage through the covers and moisture being sucked in from the outside". In addition, the Toucan suit claims that water was getting in from the cable pits below the substations, which contained water although they should not. Of even greater concern, the claim states that the substations did not comply with mandates laid down by the International Electrochemical Commission.
Lithium Ion Batteries
Wirsol plan on using lithium ion batteries with Cleve Hill Solar Park, which are known to burst spontaneously into flames as it's a by-product of the technology. Once this occurs, they produce a "thermal runway", 75' long horizontal flames ensuring that the fire spreads extremely quickly. The fire also generates huge clouds of hydrogen fluoride, known to be one of the world's most toxic gases. The only means of extinguishing the fire is with water, however this simply produces even more gas in addition to copious amounts of acid. This then proceeds to eat through whatever steel and concrete is being used to house the batteries. The gas will, of course, go whichever way the wind is blowing maiming and killing everything it encounters.
Insurance
As a solar farm alone the returns for Cleve Hill are marginal, especially in the current climate when investors will be significantly more cautious than before. It only becomes profitable with the addition of the batteries described above. What became clear at the planning hearings was that the developers had not factored in the cost of insurance premiums against fire and the potential catastrophic loss of life, personal injury and property damage. Given the risks identified during the process the annual premium will be many millions of pounds.
Before issuing a policy, any insurer will likely look at the worst case scenario. Given the size of the proposed battery farm, if a fire takes hold it will takes days to extinguish. The release of poison gas and acid puts this on a par with a nuclear accident. The current annual premium for a US nuclear power station is $375 million. Even if the insurance premiums are a fraction of this, Cleve Hill is clearly a very high-risk investment.
It should also be noted that in their application form the developers (Wirsol) stated that they would "construct, operate and maintain" the Cleve Hill solar installation, however the company accounts tell a very different story. Wirsol's accounts state that the "principal activity of the group and the company is to design and build solar energy parks for resale". Nowhere is it stated that Wirsol will make an exception for Cleve Hill. Instead, it refers to the company’s 2019 Financial Plan which is for the "ongoing acquisition, funding, build and sale of the UK solar parks".
Representation
There is significant concern that our MP, Helen Whately, was not listened to by Parliament when attempting to make an argument against Cleve Hill. A quote from a Faversham resident states "I with others went to Parliament and met with Helen Whateley as she opposed the solar park / battery factory. However, the debate requested by Helen Whately was stifled in the house by the process of Brexit at the end of last year, so there has not been proper Parliamentary consideration of this project and its real implications as precedent, or its true dangers". If this is the case, is the decision legitimate given that she was the area's sole parliamentary representative and clearly wasn't permitted to voice our concerns?
There are also significant concerns raised by others who have monitored her campaign against the solar park, that she consistently failed to mention the glaring issues of the lithium ion batteries and other key issues reported in detail by The Faversham Eye.
Lack of Involvement of Kent Fire and Rescue Service
There are many concerning factors around the quality of the consultation and the Secretary of State's decision, of which one is that the Kent Fire and Rescue Service were not involved at any point in the consultation and have stated so on 13th February 2020 long after the consultation finished. (Please see the following link: https://favershamsociety.org/category/cleve-hill/?fbclid=IwAR17r0b6YYNqHr0Y92bvNs31-fqY4HrpKvBHzjGQjsVI24tLC0PnAXF6RaQ The Kent and Medway Fire Authority were described by the NIPI here as a 'Non-Interested Party' when they requested to be involved - this is clearly not acceptable given what has been described above. (https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk After the terrible Grenfell Tower disaster, it certainly raises serious worries that concerns about safety seem to be treated so bureaucratically rather than centrally in the consultation.
Flooding
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) as a gas is lighter than air until water is introduced which can then produce Hydrofluoric Acid, which is heavier than air. This element will then boil at room temperature in addition to being highly poisonous to everything it touches or that breathes it. If this is indeed heavier than air than every low-lying area would potentially suffer catastrophic consequences - both human and animal. The Swale Estuary is a protected site as far can be recalled and contains some of the rarest oysters amongst other things within it, which includes the Black Oyster. In addition, a large colony of grey seals exist within the estuary and the bird life provides a site of significant importance to bird migration. If a catastrophic issue occurred with the lithium ion batteries as mentioned above these would doubtless be wiped out in the blink of an eye.
It should be noted that this is a highlighted area for the risk of flooding from the sea in the future, albeit a medium to low risk but clearly validated by the official GOV. UK website. The Graveney and Seasalter areas often receive flood warnings to their detriment and in conjunction with the effects of the lithium ion batteries this could be exceptionally disastrous.
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Petition created on 6 June 2020