The Cabildo of Tenerife is the administration responsible for granting or denying the declaration of insular interest requested by the promoting company, Disa Energía Renovable, SLU, for the two wind farm projects it wants to build in Fasnia and Güímar. The Güímar People’s Party challenged the president of the Corporation, Rosa Dávila, to bring the issue to the Plenary to assess the extent of the Island Government’s opposition to these initiatives.
Last Wednesday, the island government reported the unfavorable report regarding the El Pilón I and II wind farms because their development area is a protected natural space with the category of Natural Monument included in the Natura 2000 Network. “We support the position of the municipalities and their residents and agree that this location is not appropriate. Technical reports warn us of the impacts on the landscape and biodiversity, which would be very negative and irreversible,” defended Rosa Dávila.
A request from the PP
This stance of the Cabildo is supported by the PP, a partner of CC in the governing group. However, that same day, the Güímar Popular Party questioned the scope of this agreement of the Island Government Council and claimed that the president was lying. This was done through a social media post by its municipal coordinator, Víctor González, who insisted that this decision must become a plenary agreement of the Cabildo itself.
So far, the Plenary of the Güímar City Council denied administrative authorization to build the wind farms based on the report prepared by the Municipal Technical Office. The same determines the “illegality” of the execution of the El Pilón II project in Agache because it violates current legislation (articles 77 and 79 of the Land Law and the General Planning Plan, among others) as its construction is planned on rustic land of landscape and natural environmental protection, including the Malpaís.
The Councilor for Urban Planning, Airam Puerta, believes there are legal guarantees to deny authorization for these projects
Airam Puerta, Councilor for Urban Planning, explained that in the case of affected agricultural land, the Land Law establishes “an express prohibition” of its development “when it has the mentioned categories.” In his opinion, “there are legal guarantees to prevent this project from being developed in the Agache region, which occupies 55% of the land in the municipality of Güímar.”
The local Popular Party voted against denying administrative authorization for this project in the passage through Güímar because “it does not fit the technical reality of the project,” “exaggerates the area of impact,” “the supports of the overhead line are outside the protected area,” and “does not affect the Malpaís of Güímar”, arguments also used by the developer.
Disa, willing to adapt the projects
Disa maintains that the projects comply with current regulations, including the Fasnia and Güímar planning, and that El Pilón II is planned on rustic agricultural land. It recalled that in the current phase of allegations “it is possible to introduce as many modifications as the Cabildo wishes to adapt to its preferences, even though they comply with environmental regulations.”
El Pilón II is planned in the Agache region (Güímar) bordering the Herques ravine, although the electrical layout to evacuate the 8.5 megawatts of its two wind turbines requires 24 towers and a line to the Güímar Industrial Park, much of it underground.
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