Date Published: 19/07/2021
ARCHIVED - Working group established to agree location of future solar power plants in Cartagena
ARCHIVED ARTICLE The group aims to monitor the location of new solar plants in Cartagena
The sunny climate of the Costa Cálida makes the whole of the Murcia region an ideal location for solar farms and the generation of solar energy, a situation which has resulted in several mega projects being constructed in locations which are aesthetically far from ideal.
In April, the regional government of Murcia passed a law to regulate the development of solar plants in the region and control the environmental impact of any future developments.
The law aims to take into consideration the environmental need to build renewable electricity installations and for businesses to create employment, but at the same time to take into consideration not only the visual impact of their location but also involve local people in the decision making process regarding where they should be situated.
At the end of May, a plenary session of the municipal corporation in Cartagena approved an urgent initiative to study the proper management of the installation of these solar plants, to ensure that they cause the least amount of impact possible on both the environment and the residents of Cartagena.
Following this agreement and in a bid to ensure appropriate consideration is taken in the installation of further solar plants in the Cartagena municipality of the Murcia region, a working group consisting of local business owners and residents has now been set up.
Comprising the associations Unef, Aremur, Fremm, Anpier and Ahmur, along with representatives of the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Cartagena and Comarca (FAVAC), the group will review plans for new plants and be invited to present their proposals for amendments and improvements to the proposed schemes.
Speaking at the first meeting of the working group on Friday, July 16, a group representative said that the working group will agree on an action protocol for the installation of solar plants in the municipality of Cartagena.
"We want to reach a consensus that is positive for everyone," vice-mayoress Ana Belén Castejón said.
"Today we have presented the initial document, which we have prepared on the basis of the documents provided by companies and residents, who will now have to analyze it to present new proposals. All attendees have agreed on a fundamental issue; protecting the western area of the region”.
When the group next meets on July 26, it is expected to discuss such issues as the appropriate location of new plants so as not to harm the local environment or rural development of the area. It has also committed to avoiding areas of cultural interest.