The General Directorate of Energy of the Generalitat has granted prior administrative authorization to the Galatea wind farm, planned for La Jonquera (Alt Empordà). This is a new step to make the project a reality, which already had the approval of the Catalan administration in the environmental impact statement (DIA). Its promoters, in fact, expect it to be operational by the end of 2025.
The infrastructure, which also affects the municipalities of Cantallops, Agullana, Capmany, Biure, Puente de Molins, Llers, Figueres and Vilafant, will have a capacity of 48.94 MW and nine wind turbines. Most of the affected municipalities have presented allegations against the project during the consultation process.
The commissioning of the wind farm would provide a supply equivalent to the electricity consumption of 50% of the 70,000 homes in the region, according to Eloi Ovejas, responsible for renewable projects in Catalonia at Green Power Spain, Endesa's renewable division.
The execution of the project, promoted by Enel Green Power Spain, will involve an investment of around 50 million euros. At the same time, its promoters have launched -in compliance with the renewables decree- a campaign to finance the project with a process of local participation. Interested parties can "reserve" the investments they want to make, which will be a minimum of 500 euros and a maximum of 25,000.
The contributions, which can be made through the Fundeen Participatory Financing Platform, will have a 10-year fixed return of 5.8% for the affected municipalities: La Jonquera, Agullana, Capmany, Biure, Pont de Molins, Llers, Vilafant and Figueres; and 5.3% for the rest of the residents of the region, provided they have been registered for at least two years.
The previous approval of the DIA by the Generalitat generated rejection in ecological platforms such as Albera Lliure de Molins (ALLIMO) and the Alt Empordanese Institution for the Defense and Study of Nature (IAEDEN). Both entities denounced the environmental impact that the future wind park would have on the territory, specifically on the Sierra de la Albera, so they demanded it be stopped.
