In Elche a solar macroproject threatens a protected place. It is only the tip of the iceberg of a problem throughout Spain

Spain advances in its energy transition, but not without conflicts. In Galicia, for example, the expansion of wind farms has generated A growing social rejection for its impact on the landscape. Something similar happens in the teacher, where local communities They denounce the implementation of renewables without planning or consensus. Now, the conflict moves south of the province of Alicante. The voices of the protest. The environmental group friends of the wetlands of southern Alicante (AHSA) has resorted to the authorization of Lucinala, a macroproject of solar energy As detailed in their press release. The authorization was granted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, despite the fact that the group presented allegations and a first resource last years, still unanswered. Although the project has been reformulated and its reduced surface, environmentalists continue to see it as a direct threat to the natural and agricultural values ​​of the Galvany Clot environment. Project chronology. Lucinala, a solar plant of more than 62 MW of power and 120 hectares of surface, has already received two administrative authorizations In just 15 months. Despite the unfavorable reports issued by entities such as the City Council of Alicante or the road unit, the central government gave the project to the project in January and April 2024, according to He explained The information. The local medium continues to detail that the promoter has introduced modifications in response to these institutional objections, such as the underground of evacuation lines, the elimination of an intermediate substation or the displacement of the electric layout. These measures allowed the project to raffle the main legal obstacles. However, they have not managed to dissipate the social or ecological opposition to the project. A protected area. In the province of Alicante there are about twenty protected placesnot as many as in other areas of Spain. For this reason, the location of the Lucinala plant is especially sensitive in a critical area from the environmental point of view: The Landscape Basin of Galvany Clot. This wetland, located in the municipality of Elche, has various protection figures, both regional and European. The Ecologists collective In your press release He has denounced that the set of eleven solar plants would occupy more than 190 hectares, a figure that exceeds in 10 hectares the total area of ​​the wetland itself. In addition, they added that 60 hectares of high quality agricultural land, 31 hectares of forest land and 25 hectares of areas with flood risk would be affected. And the ecological connection of the Clot was committed to the Serra of why, to the north, which would fragment key habitats for local fauna. This can bring tail. Beyond the specific case, AHSA, together with more than 150 organizations integrated into the Macrorenovable Platform, They have denouncedA speculative “bubble” driven by European subsidies Next Generation. On the other hand, AHSA has warned that renewable projects in process in Spain are already 144 GW of power, well above the 89 GW planned in The National Energy and Climate National Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030. Even so, the Latest reports From Red Eléctrica de España (REE) they have indicated that, at the end of 2024, the installed renewable power reached 85.1 GW, very close to the marked objective. Reopening the debate. It is true that from the environmental group they insist that abandoning fossil fuels is urgent, but they warn that a poorly planned transition can reproduce old errors: concentration of energy power, loss of territorial sovereignty and false promises of sustainability. Instead, they bet on a fair transition, decentralized and sensitive to territory. At that crossroads, the question continues in the air: how to move towards clean energy without leaving behind the territory, biodiversity and those who inhabit it. Image | Pxhere and Ferran tab Xataka | Solar panels that clean other solar panels: the photovoltaic industry has entered its self -replicant phase

a macroproject of 1,800 MW without the need for new reservoirs

In recent weeks the heavy rains They have filled to the limit different reservoirs, forcing many of them to open your gates. But what if all That water will be stored To create a giant battery for renewables? In Galicia they have got to work. The biggest in Spain. The great reversible hydroelectric power plant will be known as Conse II and will be located on the Bibey River, in the province of Ourense, According to Vigo’s lighthouse. In this same medium they have pointed out that the project will be lifted taking advantage of the 690 meter altitude difference between the Cenza and Bao reservoirs. In addition, the initiative will be developed by Iberdrola and will have an investment of 1,500 million euros. An underground giant battery. The new project is also known as the pumping hydroelectric plant. The operation of the plant is as energy storage when there is an excess renewable energy in the system. More easily, the plant uses that excess to pump water from a reservoir less than a superior. So when there are demand peaks, water will fall again, moving turbines that will generate electricity, acting as a natural battery. An expanded project. According to Galicia’s voicethe original idea was to build a 900 MW plant, but Iberdrola decided to double its capacity to 1800MW after additional studies. However, these same analyzes detected geological risks in the area where the great underground cavern will be excavated that will house much of the plant. More studies. The Xunta de Galicia has given the approval To carry out new geotechnical research, as the Galician medium has learned. In addition, these new studies include the opening of an access gallery of 1,500 meters and another of 200 meters, which will allow analyzing the land directly before starting the main work An environmental problem? In recent months, There were many demands to stop different wind -collo -projects due to the environmental impact, but the Supreme Court recently has given The reason for renewables. As the Vigo lighthouse has been recordedthe authorities have estimated that the environmental impact will be minimal as it is an underground infrastructure. In addition, the Ministry of Environment He has stressed that will not affect the area of ​​special conservation (ZEC) of the central massif, belonging to the Natura 2000 Network. However, as they have explained from progressthe environmental report has indicated several aspects that must be managed during the execution of the works, such as the large volume of land movement the acoustic impact and vibrations during construction. For this reason, noise levels will be required to comply with current regulations and that Iberdrola present a previous study on possible conditions to nearby populations. More storage. Spain closed last year with 63.9% of the total renewable generationbeing wind and solar the ones that produce the most. For this reason, and given the intermittency of these sources, it is important that it will continue to look for ways to store the surplus. According to has detailed the voice of Galiciathe works of this hydroelectric plant will last about 21 months, to which three more months are added to complete the technical polls, so it will still wait. Image | Dichiano man Xataka | “Thank you so much, reservoirs.net”: Spanish men are developing a peculiar obsession with swamps

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