Keydata Income VCT 1
KEYDATA INCOME VCT 1 PLC
VCT to invest in Renewable Energy Projects
The Board of Keydata Income VCT 1 plc ('the Company') is pleased to announce it
has signed agreements to invest in a series of renewable energy power generation
projects based on the technology of the gasification of recycled wood. The
Company's principal partners in these projects are Biomass Engineering Limited
('Biomass') a leading company in the field of sustainable energy (see
www.biomass-uk.com) and Centralgrange Environmental Waste Limited ('CEW') a
business based in St Helens, Lancashire specialising in waste reclamation.
On 15 June 2007, the Company entered into investment commitments in respect of
£6,227,000 the principal terms of which are as follows:
1. The Company will be investing an aggregate of £4,248,000 in five newly formed
renewable energy companies (RECs). It is intended that each REC will build,
own and operate either a 1 megawatt (MW) or 0.5 MW Gasification Unit in St
Helens, Merseyside, to be fuelled by clean recycled wood provided by CEW
which operates a waste reclamation station on the site. The total annual
operating capacity of the 5 RECs will be 4.5 MW of electricity, four
companies producing 1MW and one company producing 0.5MW. Biomass will
provide the Gasification Units and construction start dates are currently
targeted for July 2007 with completion and grid connection scheduled for
October 2008 although it is anticipated that completion and grid connection
could occur earlier in June 2008. Planning permission has been granted in
respect of the Gasification Units.
2. The site where the Gasification Units are intended to be constructed is
leased to CEW by St Helens Council. It is intended that CEW will grant an
underlease to the Distributor (a new company 85% owned by CEW and 5% by
Credinvest International LLP, a corporate finance firm specialising in
renewable energy) with sub-underleases being granted by the Distributor to
the RECs. The Council, as head landlord, has given outline approval to the
underlease. As part of CEWs business of operating a waste reclamation
station on the site, it receives a gate fee for receipt of waste wood from
various local customers; and CEW will be entering into a long term contract
to supply clean recycled wood to the Distributor for gasification at the
Gasification Units. The resultant gas will be used to generate electricity
and heat, which will be sold back to the Distributor by the RECs under a 20
year Tolling agreement.
3. The Company will also be investing an aggregate of £1,979,000 in two newly
formed RECs set up to supply various support services (eg fuel feed system,
condensate filter and cooling tower and the plant required to connect to
grid) to the five operating companies detailed above.
4. The company also proposes to invest a further £2,500 for a 5% equity interest
in the Distributor which will give it exposure to increasing electricity
prices.
5. Subject to tax approval from HMRC and the satisfaction of other conditions
set out in the relevant funding agreement, the Company will provide funding
to each of the 7 RECs to enable it to fund the construction and operation of
the Gasification Units and related facilities. The VCT will invest 30% in
each REC by way of subscription for shares and 70% in loan notes. The
precise amount of the investments will depend on the final project costs.
The Company will be providing only a proportion of the total funding
required by each of the renewable energy companies and the distributor, any
shortfall to be sourced from third parties.
6. Completion of the investment in each REC will only proceed once that company
has acquired all the necessary rights to enable it to design, construct, own
and operate the relevant gasification unit or common facilities (as the case
may be). Biomass will provide services for the technical and commercial
operation and maintenance of the Gasification Units on behalf of each
company and the Distributor will sell the electrical output and associated
renewable benefits.
7. Keydata Investment Services Limited will provide all required company
secretarial, administrative and accountancy services for each of the 7
investee companies and the Distributor under the terms of the funding
agreement for which it will receive an annual fee of £5,000 from each REC
and £10,000 from the Distributor (escalating at UK CPI).
Stephen Oxenbridge, the Chairman of Keydata Income VCT 1 plc commented:
'I am delighted to announce this series of investments and believe they meet our
strict criteria of balancing relatively low commercial risk with an ability to
deliver the income returns outlined in the Company's flotation prospectus.'
19 June 2007
For further information please contact:
Craig McNeil
Company Secretary
Keydata Income VCT 1 plc
0141 572 2300
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