Repsol Renovables, a renewables company within Spanish multi-energy group Repsol SA, has agreed to cut the size and capacity of a planned 110-MW solar farm near the Sierra Salinas natural area in the Valencia region, eastern Spain, following negotiations with the Villena City Council, the municipality said on Monday.
The company will reduce the plant’s capacity to 103 MW, trim its footprint by 14 hectares (34.6 acres), and shift the site 500 metres further from Sierra Salinas, the council said in a statement.
The Spanish ministry for the ecological transition had approved the project against the council’s opinion, rejecting its appeals over environmental concerns. With the ministry’s authorisation in place, the local government will now grant the required building permit, incorporating the changes agreed with Repsol Renovables.
Villena’s councillor for industry, Javier Martinez, said the measures fell short of the council’s preference for an alternative location, but welcomed the company’s willingness to negotiate. Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.
The council has sought to have Sierra Salinas designated as a Natural Park under Valencia’s regional laws, but said it had received no response from the regional environment department.
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