The Sun Shines For Wirsol Energy: Guidance On The Circumstances In Which Waiver Can Be Given In A Commercial Contract

• Published date: 26 August 2021
• Subject Matter: Corporate/Commercial Law, Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration, Real Estate and Construction, Corporate and Company Law, Contracts and Commercial Law, Trials & Appeals & Compensation, Construction & Planning
• Law Firm: Gatehouse Chambers
• Author: Ms Emily Husain

Mr Justice Henshaw handed down judgment on 14 April 2021 in Toucan Energy Holdings Ltd v Wirsol Energy Ltd [2021] EWHC 895 (Comm), a substantive dispute begun in 2018 regarding the construction and sale of 19 solar parks located throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Wirsol has very successfully defended allegations that it designed and constructed the solar parks defectively, which was said to have caused Toucan significant losses and to require effectively a total re-construction of many of the sites due to allegedly fundamental faults risking catastrophic failures.

Wirsol contended that the solar parks were properly built (save for minor issues) and that Toucan's losses were minimal. Wirsol also counterclaimed for approximately '6.5 million in unpaid fees arising out of a contract to procure asset life extensions for the solar parks. Toucan denied that the asset life extension invoice was payable, including on the basis that a necessary condition subsequent to payment had not been satisfied or waived.

Toucan's total claim amounted to some '30 million in damages, including a significant sum for diminution in value of the solar parks due to ongoing "blight" in addition to the remedial/replacement costs it said would be incurred, along with lost revenue from under-performance of the solar parks and claims for liquidated damages.

A five-week trial took place in person at the Rolls Building through October and November 2020, with experts in the fields of electrical engineering, solar asset valuation, quantity surveying and transformer design.

Mr Justice Henshaw dismissed the vast majority of Toucan's '30...