Albacete hybrid photovoltaic parks receive favorable environmental impact statement

The General Directorate of Environmental Quality and Assessment of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has issued a favorable environmental impact statement (DIA) for the project “Breña, Cerroblanco, Torviscal, and Majales photovoltaic parks for hybridization with the existing Breña, Cerroblanco, Torviscal, and Majales wind farms, in the province of Albacete.” The resolution, signed on August 31, 2026, by the Director General Marta Gómez Palenque, is published in the Official State Gazette of September 10, 2026 (BOE-A-2026-18976).

The promoter is OPDEnergy Eólica de Castilla La Mancha, SL, which on June 15, 2026, communicated the change of its corporate name from Acciona Eólica de Castilla-La Mancha, SL, without modification to its legal personality or its NIF (Tax Identification Number). The project consists of the implementation of four solar photovoltaic plants functionally associated with the wind farms already in operation, taking advantage of their evacuation infrastructures and the connection point to the transmission grid at the Pinilla 400 kV substation, owned by Red Eléctrica de España, without increasing the granted access capacity.

Four photovoltaic plants to hybridize with wind farms

The activities are located in the province of Albacete: the Breña, Cerroblanco, and Torviscal parks are situated in the municipality of Masegoso, while Majales and its infrastructures extend across Masegoso, Casas de Lázaro, and Alcaraz. The capacities of the new plants and the wind farms with which they are hybridized are as follows:

• Breña: 30.56 MW photovoltaic, to hybridize with the 36 MW wind farm.
• Cerroblanco: 52.77 MW photovoltaic, to hybridize with the 48 MW wind farm.
• Torviscal: 26.38 MW photovoltaic, to hybridize with the 24 MW wind farm.
• Majales: 49 MW photovoltaic, to hybridize with the 49.5 MW wind farm.

Together, the four plants total 217,800 bifacial monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules of 620 Wp, with a total fenced area of 250.21 hectares. The energy will be evacuated via medium-voltage underground lines to the transformer substation SET Torviscal 132/30-12 kV, shared with the wind farms, and from there to the transmission grid via the existing 132 kV overhead line to Pinilla 400 kV.

Environmental conditions: undergrounding and fauna protection

The EIA establishes extensive conditions to minimize impacts. Among the most relevant measures are the entirely underground execution of the evacuation infrastructure for the Majales plant, including the crossing of the Masegoso river, and the exclusion of modules on slopes exceeding 12%. Additionally, an action protocol for problematic wind turbines is incorporated for the shutdown of turbines that cause collisions of birds or chiropterans included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection Regime (LESRPE).

The conditions also contemplate the creation of native vegetation islands between the modules, the protection of karstic geomorphological elements (dolines and uvalas) cataloged by Law 9/1999 of Castilla-La Mancha, the progressive replacement of SF6 gas in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/573, and an integrated environmental monitoring program covering the entire hybrid wind-photovoltaic system throughout its useful life.

Climate and Socioeconomic Impact

According to the environmental documentation, during the useful life of the facilities, estimated at 30 years, the emission of approximately 3.1 million tons of CO₂ equivalent will be avoided compared to a non-renewable generation scenario. The promoter also anticipates favorable socioeconomic effects derived from investment and job creation, which could contribute to maintaining the population in rural areas. The Spanish Office for Climate Change positively valued the project’s contribution to climate change mitigation, and the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, after an initial unfavorable report, finally issued a favorable report with prescriptions.

The environmental impact statement is not subject to appeal, without prejudice to those that may proceed via administrative and judicial channels against the act by which the project is authorized, and it is communicated to the substantive body for its incorporation into the authorization procedure.

Source: Resolution of August 31, 2026, of the Directorate General for Quality and Environmental Evaluation, formulating the environmental impact statement for the project “Breña, Cerroblanco, Torviscal, and Majales photovoltaic parks for their hybridization with the existing Breña, Cerroblanco, Torviscal, and Majales wind farms, in the province of Albacete.” BOE No. 224, of September 10, 2026, Sec. III, pp. 121116-121150. Official reference: BOE-A-2026-18976 (file BOE-A-2026-18976.full.md).