The implementation of renewable energies continues to create a rift between a part of the local population, the opposing stance of the institutions, and the interests of energy companies in Lanzarote.
The latest chapter in this battle is unfolding in the town of Mácher, in the municipality of Tías, where a Madrid-based company plans to install 6,288 solar panels, sixteen inverters, a transformation center, and an underground line. In total, this project will affect 70,000 square meters of land.
The General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands has put out for public consultation this Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the declaration of "public utility" for the Tías II photovoltaic plant, promoted by the company. This project had already been put out for public consultation in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands on October 9th.
These announcements come after more than a year of debate surrounding the declaration of Renewable Acceleration Zones (ZAR) in Lanzarote. The Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Lanzarote agreed to dedicate 3.75% of the island's territory to the installation of solar panel farms and wind turbines. They announced it in the middle of summer, but disagreements between the two institutions have clouded its rectification.
For now, the meeting of the Biosphere Reserve Councilmeeting of the Biosphere Reserve Council where it was announced that this rectification would be debated has been postponed twice in the last month.
Another previous project by the same company
This project would be added to another previously submitted for the same town and promoted by the same company RS Iberia 23, SL. This other project is called Tías I, which promotes the installation of 1,680 solar panels and the expropriation of 36 plots of land in the town.
As announced by the General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, the company plans to subject both projects, Tías I and Tías II, to a simplified environmental assessment jointly.
This private initiative foresees an investment of 2.3 million euros and the compulsory expropriation of up to 39 plots of land. At least three of these plots belong to unknown individuals. Among the affected plots are also private owners and public entities such as the Tías City Council and the Cabildo of Lanzarote.
Before this publication, the Tías City Council has questioned that the Canary Executive continues to give the green light to "this type of projects" and has publicly shown its rejection of renewable energy initiatives that occupy territory.
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