Le Haut-des-Ailes |
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| Name of the project | Le Haut-des-Ailes |
| Country | France |
| Description | The project consists of 22 wind turbines erected in the Lorraine region. Each turbine has a capacity of 2MW amounting to a total capacity of 44MW. The farm is one of the largest in France and impacts 50 communities, directly or indirectly. |
| Project developer | Erelia (GDF Suez) |
| Start date | 01-09-2005 |
| Total investment (€) | 50 million |
| Financing sources | Shareholder equity Debt financing Subsidies |
| Initiator | Erelia |
| Investor(s) | Local Community, FIDEME |
| Project owner | Local Community, Erélia |
| Actors who receive benefits | Local Community |
| Legal background | In France the 'Taxe Professionnelle' is a tax based on the 'rental value' of corporate real estate which accrues solely to the local municipality. This tax has played an important role in making renewable energy projects attractive to rural communities seeking to revitalise the local economy. As rural municipalities are often avoided by enterprises, they lack tax funds to reinvest in community projects. Rural communities, however, often have good locations for wind projects, which induced the interest of developers. The additional funds rural municipalities raised through the 'Taxe Professionnelle' and reinvested in the community has helped increase local political support and community acceptance in France. In 2010 it was announced that the 'Taxe Professionnelle' would be replaced by a tax on the land value of the enterprise. It remains to be seen if this will have an impact on the local political support for new developments |
| Background information | The regional council from the Lorraine Region, wished to realise a renewable energy project which stimulated sustainable local development and involved the local community. In erecting the wind farm the developer held several consultation phases with the local community ensuring they were fully informed about the new development. The consultation phases included public meetings, setting up stakeholders groups which could be consulted and executing polls. Furthermore, a charter consisting of 12 principles, covering aspects such as noise limits or other nuisances, were agreed upon between the community and the developer guaranteeing a sustainable development. The developer also offered the community the possibility of buying shares in the project, a first in France. |
| Type of benefit sharing mechanism | Community fund Local ownership/co-ownership Compensation Local contracting Local employment Indirect social benefits |
| Renewable energy source | Wind power |
| Application of BSM | Community Fund: the several communities surround the wind farm earn funds from the development in the form of the 'taxe professionnelle' (approx €6000 per turbine per year) which can be spent in the respective communities. Local Ownership: Le Haut-des-Ailes was the first wind farm in France offering shares to the local community. Shares were offered at the price of € 1000. Shareholder's can expect a return of approximately 7% annually. Compensation: land owners who host the turbines are compensated in the form of annual land-use payments. A protocol was signed between the developer and the land owners to ensure an equitable distribution of these payments. Local contracting: part of the investment price was reserved for local companies (mostly engineering and construction companies) during the construction of the farm. Local employment: 4 on-site full time employees were hired for maintenance of the wind farm. Indirect social benefits: the community actively tries to promote eco tourism. The wind farm is part of the 'Renewable Energy Route' and an initiative of the organisation "Lorraine Energies Renouvelables". |
| Factors which contributed to the success of the project | Political support was an essential success factor. The local region wished to stimulate the development of wind farms in the region with a high level of consultation and involvement of the local community. The developer was very open in its communications with the community, agreeing on several principles before construction began. Thanks to the open communication, clear agreements and benefits offered the community played a decisive role in creating acceptance. |
| Roles of the different stakeholders | Local Authorities: initiated the concept of a wind farm project with a high level of community involvement and engage themselves to help develop ecological tourism which provides indirect benefits to the community. Developer: Communicate clearly & invite the community to participate Municipalities & Region: Initiated the idea of the project where the community would be involved and engaged itself to develop ecological tourism which provides indirect benefits to the community. |
| Impact of BSM of this project on community acceptance | The host of benefits offered to the community clearly had an impact on the community acceptance of the project. Only 18 months were required between the study phase of the project and acquiring the construction permit, which demonstrates the high level of acceptance for this project. |
| Impact of BSM of this project on socio-political level or market acceptance | Le Haut-des-Ailes was the first wind farm in France to offer the local community a share in the project. As a pioneering project it provided an example for other comparable projects. |
| Planned production of MW by your project | 44 MW |
| Website | http://www.ereliagroupe.fr/accueil/nos-parcs-eoliens/le-haut-des-ailes/ |
Bouin |
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| Name of the project | Bouin |
| Country | France |
| Description | The Bouin wind farm consists of 8 wind turbines with two different owners. Three turbines of 2,5MW are owned by the Régie d'Electricité de Vendée, while 5 turbines with a capacity of 2,4MW are owned by SIIF, a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles. The wind farm completed construction in 2003. |
| Project developer | SIIF / Régie d'Electricité de Vendée |
| Start date | 01-01-2003 |
| Total investment (€) | 23 million |
| Financing sources | Shareholder equity |
| Initiator | SIIF / Régie d'Electricité de Vendée |
| Investor(s) | SIIF / Régie d'Electricité de Vendée |
| Project owner | SIIF / Régie d'Electricité de Vendée |
| Actors who receive benefits | Shareholders, Municipality, Community |
| Legal background | In France the 'Taxe Professionnelle' is a tax based on the 'rental value' of corporate real estate which accrues solely to the local municipality. This tax has played an important role in making renewable energy projects attractive to rural communities seeking to revitalise the local economy. As rural municipalities are often avoided by enterprises, they lack tax funds to reinvest in community projects. Rural communities however often have good locations for wind projects, which raised the interest of developers. The additional funds rural municipalities raised through the 'Taxe Professionnelle' and reinvested in the community has helped raise local political support and community acceptance in France. In 2010 it was announced that the 'Taxe Professionnelle' would be replaced by a tax on the land value of the enterprise. It remains to be seen if this will have an impact on the local political support for new developments |
| Background information | The French department of the Vendée wished to promote renewable energy within the territory. The site in the community of Bouin was identified as ideal due to low population density, good wind conditions, proximity to grid connection and absence of protected zones. After several consultation rounds with the local community the municipality accepted the project to its potential benefits for the local community and the possibilities of new income for the community. When completed in 2003 it was the largest wind farm in France. |
| Type of benefit sharing mechanism | Community fund Compensation Local employment Indirect social benefits |
| Renewable energy source | Wind power |
| Application of BSM | Community Fund: considering the municipality's rural character the additional taxes in the form of the 'Taxe Professionnelle' represents a significant increase in its budget. The additional taxes gained represent approximately 10% of the municipality's annual budget allowing several new public projects to be undertaken. Compensation: the farm is located near a lake where several unique birds nest. LPO, a bird protection agency, required compensatory measures to be taken before agreeing with the development. These included a ban on hunting certain birds, underground electricity cables and the execution of certain public works on the lake to improve the birds' habitat. An annual study, performed by the LPO and funded by the developers, demonstrates no higher rates of mortality amongst birds since the completion of the wind farm. Indirect social benefits: the wind farm has had a clear impact on the number of tourists visiting the municipality. Each summer approximately 18.000 cars pass the municipality daily on their way to the south of France but hardly any tourists stopped. Since construction on average 1000-1500 tourists stop daily to visit the wind farm generating income for the local community. The wind farm also served as a prestige project for the community. Besides being the largest wind farm in France at the time, it served as an educational example for other French communities considering their own farm. |
| Factors which contributed to the success of the project | Political willingness to refocus the economy and create benefits for the community. |
| Roles of the different stakeholders | The local authorities, and in particular the mayor, have played an essential role in supporting this project and realising benefits for the community. All the benefits to the community are mostly based on the initiative of the local authorities to promote eco tourism and invest the additional tax revenue on community projects. |
| Difficulties which had to be overcome | A lawsuit was filed in the planning fase of the project by bird-protection group (LPO), which supported the development but demanded certain compensatory measures be taken. The developer agreed upon the measures which included a ban on hunting certain birds, underground electricity cables and the execution of certain public works on the lake to improve the birds' habitat. A second lawsuit was filed by "l'Association pour la Sauvegarde et la Valorisation des Pays du Gois", a landscape conservation group. They denounced the 'gigantic and disproportionate' size of the project and its impact on the landscape, and disputed the construction permit. They have however withdrawn their suit in 2005. |
| Impact of BSM of this project on community acceptance | The direct link between the construction of the wind farm and the increase in tourists and revenues has created a large acceptance within the community for the wind farm. In a survey in 2003, 94% of the local community approved of the wind farm and 87% of the members of the surrounding community. |
| Impact of BSM of this project on socio-political level or market acceptance | The project was one of the first large wind farms in France and provided a large amount of funds in the form of local taxes to the municipality. These additional incomes for the municipalities provided a strong incentive for other rural communities to analyse the potential for wind farms in their region. |
| Planned production of MW by your project | 19,5 |
| Website | http://www.bouin.fr/page.php?id=12 |