2023-04-20 04:15:00
The Government of the Principality has quickly approved the prior administrative authorizations for five wind farms in the extreme north-west of the region to prevent them from losing their coveted power grid connection point, which would force them to return to the starting point of a long bureaucratic process that lasts several years. The parks that have obtained the green light add up to 22 mills and will have a combined installed capacity of almost 98 megawatts (MW). These facilities are promoted by Enel Green Power, Endesa’s renewables subsidiary, the company from Sierra Norte Electra and the Saudi group Alfanar.
With the aim of promoting only truly viable renewable projects and expelling those that are merely speculative, the Government of Spain imposed on developers the obligation to meet intermediate milestones and obtain authorizations within a maximum period of five years from obtaining the access permit to network. The first milestone occurred on January 25. Projects that did not have an environmental impact statement (DIA) lost connection. In the weeks leading up to that milestone, the Principality approved the environmental processing of the Folgueiras and Chao Gran wind farms, promoted by Enel Green Power; Sellía Wind and Castelo Wind, promoted by the Alfanar group, and Carrugueiro 1 and 2, from Electra Norte.
The second milestone will take place on the 25th. By that date, projects with an impact statement must also have prior administrative authorization. In the last month, the Principality has given the green light to the authorizations from Folgueiras, Chao Gran, Viento de Sellía, Viento de Castelo and Carrugueiro 1 and 2, the same ones that had passed the first milestone. They are all concentrated in the extreme northwest of Asturias, in the councils of Taramundi, Vegadeo, Castropol, Villanueva de Oscos, Boal and El Franco.. The Folgueiras park will have the most powerful windmills in Asturias, with 6 MW, and will be over 200 meters high.
Sources from the Wind Power Association of the Principality of Asturias (AEPA) indicated that they are not aware that the sector is concerned about the possibility that other projects may lose connection to the grid.
Enel Green Power and Alfanar obtained power in the latest government renewable auctions and also have to meet a series of deadlines to start up their projects.
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