The Left Block Parliamentary Group questioned the Government about the possible installation, by the company Iberdrola, of a photovoltaic plant in the Cerro do Leiria area, in the parish of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, in Tavira, a project that, although still not be official, is already contested by the local population.
Like Sul Informação advanced first hand, the association Pro Barrocal Algarvio (Probaal), hunters and inhabitants of Cerro do Leiria, joined together to contest an 83 megawatt solar panel mega plant that, they claim, Iberdrola intends to install in this area.
The project, they say, could lead to the destruction of the existing biodiversity in this territory and the landscape itself, but also the predictable de-rocking and impermeability of soils, which could affect the Peral-Moncarapacho aquifer, the underground water table that exists there.
The quality of life of those who chose this quiet area of barrocal to live is also at stake.
Iberdrola's intention to build the plant, in Tavira, is real, although there is no official location or project yet.
Company representatives have even met with the president of the Tavirense Chamber and expressed their interest in investing in the municipality.
Even so, as highlighted by the Left Block – which speaks of a 200-hectare photovoltaic plant, 85% in the municipality of Tavira and 15% in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, to be built in a National Ecological Reserve and National Agricultural Reserve area – APA and CCDR/Algarve say they are not aware of the project.
«The public production of photovoltaic solar energy contributes to the fight against the climate crisis, decarbonising the country. But photovoltaic production cannot be done at the expense of depleting vast areas of the territory - in which there are often natural carbon sinks, such as forests and fertile soils -, contributing to the degradation of biodiversity, water resources and adequate conditions for sustainable agriculture», defends the bloc.
«Large solar parks must be located on unproductive soils and in areas of the territory where their installation causes minimal environmental impacts. In addition, these projects must be subject to rigorous environmental, social and economic criteria, and to inclusive public consultation processes, which must be participated from the very beginning of the project”, they believe.
Alternatively, the Government “should favor decentralized solar production, based on shared self-consumption, on the roofs of buildings and other unused areas”.
Thus, the blocistas want to know if the Government is aware of any project of the company for the zone «or in any other area of the Eastern Algarve».
“If so, under what circumstances was the license granted for this project? What does this license include?”, asks BE.
The party also wants to know if the Government will "allow the installation of a photovoltaic plant on land located in the REN and RAN zones" and if it will carry out "the necessary and adequate processes of public consultation, environmental impact studies and archaeological surveys."
Finally, he wants to know how and when there will be incentives for decentralized solar production on the roofs of buildings and other unused areas.
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