The Ministry of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Canary Islands Government “legitimizes the execution of the modified project of the La Morra wind farm” at the same time that, for this, it orders to alter the Tenerife Island Planning Plan (PIOT) and the Subsidiary Norms of Planning of Arico to make possible the installation of this park, already built. On October 10, 2018, the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) issued a final judgment backtracking the file to build this complex at the time the regional Executive authorized it (August 1, 2016), without having completed the consultation process with the Arico City Council.
The Official Bulletin of the Canary Islands (BOC) published last Thursday contains Decree 13/2022, of January 27, by which the Autonomous Government authorizes Alas Capital & Gas Natural to develop the wind farm with a nominal power of 7.05 MW (megawatts), three wind turbines with a unit power of 2,350 kW (kilowatts), 78.3 meters high and a diameter of 92 meters. It also gives the green light to the request to modify the layout of the evacuation line in 20 KV (kilovolts) from the control center of the La Morra wind farm to the Tagoro substation, of 66 KV, by executing it under the South highway to the height of kilometer 43.5, passing through Abades.
Authorization.
The La Morra wind farm was authorized by the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Knowledge of the Government of the Canary Islands on August 4, 2016, along with seven others that would be installed both in Arico itself (3) and in the Gran Canaria municipality of Aguimes (3). All of them have the declaration of public utility.
With a capacity of 6.3 megawatts (MW), the La Morra wind farm was built in the Salto del Roque area, in the vicinity of the Jardín del Atlántico urbanization and close to the town of Las Listadas. That is, from the Autopista del Sur (TF-1) towards the sea. It contemplated seven wind turbines and an investment close to 5.6 million euros. March 16, 2017 is when the General Directorate of Industry and Energy of the regional Executive grants the company authorization to modify the installation of the park, which increases its power generation to 7.05 megawatts, but reduces the number of wind turbines. From here, the entire procedure is “totally” annulled by the TSJC.
The normative.
The decision adopted by the Court four years ago was based on the fact that the legislation that regulates the Canarian electricity sector establishes that this type of project “is not subject to an ordinary planning license or to any other preventive municipal or insular act. However, they will be sent to the town hall by the competent body for authorization. The order issued on October 1, 2018 specifies that “the municipal conformity will implicitly carry the special authorization.”
The appeal that gave rise to the ruling of the TSJC and that forced the Government of the Canary Islands to intervene until issuing the decree made public last Thursday, through the BOC, was presented by the City Council of Arico protecting the neighborhood complaints of the Jardín del Atlántico, neighbors who maintain a total opposition to this industry in the vicinity of their home.
Neighborhood complaints.
In October 2017, after the start-up of the La Morra wind farm, they stated that “it is unbearable” to live in this enclave because “the noise of the wind turbines is unbearable.” The “tinkling effect” is another annoyance. It occurs “when the sunlight hits the house and is interrupted by the passing of the blades as they rotate. The stay is unbearable due to the lights and shadows that this effect produces, and can cause serious damage to health such as dementia, epilepsy, stress and nervous situations.
With its complaint, the City Council of Arico also complies with the mandate of the Municipal Plenary that, among others, on July 13, 2013 decided to “maintain opposition to the installation of any type of wind or photovoltaic infrastructure in the territorial area of the coast, between the highway, the sea and the ravines of Las Eras and El Río».
Arico is the municipality on the Island that has the largest number of renewable energy production facilities. More than 100 wind turbines are operating on its land distributed in the nine wind farms that are in operation, although the development of another 23 projects is being considered.
The Decree signed by the president of the regional Executive, Angel Victor Torresand the Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning, José Antonio Valbuena, may file an appeal for reconsideration before the Government of the Canary Islands within a month or an appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Court Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, within two months.
