CfR is helping the Channel Island of Sark progress plans to replace Sark’s aging electricity infrastructure with a new island-owned system powered by renewable energy. More than 50 people attended an island hall meeting in November to hear some case studies of island and mainland communities who have developed community-owned energy systems, and how an island-owned system for Sark could work.
The plan being progressed by Chief Pleas (Sark’s government) is to set up a new island-owned energy company to provide power to the island at a fair and transparent price. Islanders will have a ‘1 member 1 vote’ say in AGM decisions and the electricity price will be set on an open book basis at the level required to cover running and finance costs and build up reserves for upgrading and replacing the system over time.
Following a report by electrical consultants EnergyPeople, which recommended a entire replacement system as the most economically viable way forward, Chief Pleas have engaged CfR to manage a three stage tender process to select one or more companies to design and build the system, to help set up the company, and raise the finance.
Jake Burnyeat from CfR said, “The new system is likely to involve replacing the existing network with an 11,000 volt distribution system with power from solar, wind and diesel and battery back up. The system will be scalable to future needs with 3 phase supply to each property to enable people to switch to heat pumps and electric heating in the future. It will lay the foundation for Sark to become a low carbon island and to stabilise and, over time, reduce islanders’ energy bills.’
A call for expressions of interest for design and build contractors is currently live on the Guernsey procurement portal. supplyguernsey.gov.gg
A question and answer session was held after the main presentation, chaired by Conseiller Pippa Donovan who said, “We understand islanders have concerns about how it is all going to work and the Q&A session was constructive. The questions were all around how we are going to do it, not whether we should be doing it at all. There are obvious challenges, and all we can do is take it in steps and keep the island community involved along the way.”
Conseiller John Guille said, “we are at early stages and plans may change. The first step is to establish a short-list of experienced companies to design and build the system. Discussions with these companies and funding partners will help us further develop the business case.”
Jake Burnyeat from CfR said, “Sark has the opportunity to go straight to a smart, renewables-based energy system. For mainland UK that’s a 35-year process. Just as important is the opportunity for Sark to own and control its own system and set the price at the actual cost of supply.”