The promoters of the future high-voltage line designed to link Aragon with the Barcelona area must take measures to protect the populations of Bonelli's eagle and golden eagle, among other protected species, in order to bend the Government's starting position. The Catalan Administration now has the last word on this project.
The projected 400 kV line from Valmuel to Begues, of about 180 kilometers, runs most of its route through Catalonia (154 km through the regions of Terra Alta, Ribera d’Ebre, Priorat, Baix Camp, Alt Camp, Tarragonès and Baix Penedès); is promoted as a private line by Forestalia, and aims to connect a large renewable production area in Aragon with the Begues substation (of Red Eléctrica) at the entrance to Barcelona. The final objective is to supply the electricity that would cease to have with the planned closure of the nuclear plants.
However, its layout affects several natural spaces in Catalonia (Red Natura 2,000, Pein...) of "great environmental value", as well as land in the future Muntanyes de Prades natural park, according to Marc Vilahur, general director of Environmental Policies and the Natural Environment. This shows his anger because in this case the Ministry for Transition has put the ball on the Generalitat's roof.
The line obtained a positive environmental impact statement from the Ministry for Ecological Transition in April, but the green light granted is conditional on a report on fauna and natural spaces to be issued by the Generalitat. The project, therefore, will require the "conformity" of the Generalitat in order to obtain administrative authorization, according to the ministerial resolution taken.
But the pronouncement of the Generalitat is in turn conditional on the developer company presenting a proposal "that demonstrates that it takes into account the full environmental integrity of the territory and that it will adopt all the appropriate corrective and compensatory measures so that the environmental impact is zero or the impossible minimum," says Marc Vilahur. The CEO maintains that if the environmental impact is unaffordable he will issue a negative report.
It also highlights that the reports that the company has submitted so far to support its plan provide insufficient information (on the impacts and necessary environmental rectification measures), and that "with insufficient information, a project cannot have a favorable environmental evaluation."
Vilahur says that he is waiting for the developer company to provide more detailed information on the measures that should be taken to minimize the damage.
To avoid interfering with critical areas for Bonelli's eagles, measures should be taken that may mean modifications to the route or burying some sections, as has been established for Aragon.
Vilahur considers that "the State is shying away from its responsibilities as a competent authority" by delegating to the Generalitat the responsibility of ending up evaluating the suitability or otherwise of this line. “We are facing something unimaginable. If the Ministry was not clear or did not have enough information, it would have to issue an unfavorable statement. You cannot issue a favorable environmental declaration conditional on someone else changing the meaning of their report”, says Vilahur, alluding to how the Ministry has acted and the fact that the Government already informed him during the processing of the lack of information presented by the Forestalia project.
“That a favorable statement was issued based on information that does not exist, and conditioned on a report that already made the meaning clear, highlights that in this case the State has shied away from its responsibilities,” he highlights.
"It's as if the State authorized the movement of a train conditional on the security reports saying that security is correct. 'Don't listen, that's not the case, when you have the security report, then you authorize it,'" argues Vilahur.
Vilahur points out that the analysis of a project like this requires “years”, given its enormous complexity. For this reason, he sees it as difficult to prepare and present a project that incorporates all the necessary quality to protect biodiversity. "It's something that would surprise us, but it's not impossible."
Sources from the Forestalia company emphasize for their part that "we will try to comply with everything that both the central and regional administrations set for us" and that it is open to possible changes to the layout or burial points to minimize the impact.
However, they specify that burying a large part of the line would be "economically unfeasible", it would make the project up to 8 times more expensive in relation to an overhead line and it would be technically complex", they add, since it would force the opening of a 40-meter-wide level in the mountain in a work of great complexity for the orography.
“There are already underground sections planned on the Valmuel-Begues line, it remains to be seen if more should be included. We are working to mitigate the impact and improve the project in sections of the river or protect birds”, says Forestalia with a conciliatory tone.
“This project crosses our region with 150-high towers, only 28 towers in Falset. It has a great visual, landscape and environmental impact, without reporting anything to us, neither to the region nor to its inhabitants, since there are only compensations for private companies", complains Carlos Brull, mayor of ERC de Falset (Priorat) at the head of the region, who presented allegations at the time. “Our goal is to defend our agricultural, cultural and natural heritage,” he adds. His plans go through taking advantage of the initiatives of the wine, industrial and local world, for which he believes that the MAT does not favor him at all.
