Industry increases the Civitas photovoltaic plant in Elche to 2.1 megawatts

The Territorial Service of Industry, Energy and Mines of Alicante has modified the administrative construction authorization for the FV CIVITAS photovoltaic plant, promoted by CIVITAS SOLAR, S.L. in the municipality of Elche, and has approved the modification of its decommissioning plan and the restoration of the land and affected environment. The resolution was signed on October 22, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Alicante (BOP) No. 215, dated November 11, 2026, with reference 8139/2026 and file ATMOFE/2026/20/03.

Background: from the 2024 authorization to the consolidated project

On March 21, 2024, the installation obtained the authorization for implementation on non-urbanizable land, the prior administrative and construction authorization, and the approval of the decommissioning plan, under file ATALFE/2020/176, for an installed capacity of 1.981 MW. On January 29, 2026, the company communicated technical adjustments introduced during the development of the project, and on March 12, 2026, it submitted a consolidated project for the plant and the exclusive evacuation line; on July 31, 2026, it provided the consolidated projects for the infrastructures to be transferred to the distributor.

The instructing body classifies the changes as substantial according to article 115.3 of Royal Decree 1955/2000, as the increase in peak power exceeds 10%, but concludes that it is not appropriate to subject them to new public consultation, according to Annex IV of Decree Law 14/2020 and article 115.2 of the aforementioned royal decree.

More installed and peak power, with bifacial modules

The authorized plant is defined with 2.1 MWn of nominal inverter power and 2.53197 MWp of peak power, compared to the previous 1.981 MW and 2,211.30 kWp. The most relevant changes are:

• Replacement of 3,510 monofacial modules of 630 Wp with 3,101 bifacial modules of 710 Wp (816.5 Wp with the 15% gain provided for in article 5 of Royal Decree 997/2025), which increases the peak power by 14.5%.
• 300 kW inverters no longer factory-limited to 283 kW: seven units with a total of 2,100 kWn, a 6% increase in installed power.
• Single-axis trackers in 1V arrangement (23 of 52 modules, 8 of 30, and 37 of 45) with a pitch of 4.20 m, compared to the previous 2V configuration with a pitch of 8.00 m.
• Reduction from 135 to 120 strings and redistribution of modules per string and inverter.
• Fencing of 21,338 m² over an occupied surface of 21,401 m² and 9,632.80 m² of module area, with relocation of the protection and measurement center.
• Shortening of the 20 kV underground line between the protection and measurement center and the sectioning center, from 19 to 6 meters.

Less access capacity and mandatory power control

I-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, S.A.U. reduced the granted access capacity from 1,9908 MW to 1.87 MW due to a technical adjustment for grid code compliance. Guarantee 032026V20, which backs the new capacity, was validated by a resolution dated July 21, 2026, in file GARSAP/2026/1/03, and replaces guarantee 032025V12. Since the access capacity is lower than the installed power, the resolution requires a coordinated control system to prevent injecting more power than authorized.

The connection point remains on the 20 kV overhead line «Salaaspe» and «Salaronda», from the Saladas substation, between supports 136082 and 136080, via a new support A-1 (507581, type C-4500-16) on plot 9023, which replaces the existing 136081, and a support A-2 (507583) on plot 56. The sectioning center is relocated, and the overhead-underground line increases from 161 to 173 meters.

Updated decommissioning and budget

The modification of the decommissioning and restoration plan amounts to 79,199.51 euros, justified by the change of equipment in the new execution project. The global execution budget is 815,302.71 euros: 773,526.02 euros for the plant, 13,894.91 euros for the sectioning center, and 27,881.78 euros for the medium-voltage line.

The resolution orders its publication in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana and in the BOP, as well as on the website of the Third Vice-Presidency and Department of Environment, Infrastructure, Territory and Recovery. Against this resolution, which does not exhaust administrative remedies, an appeal may be filed before the Directorate General of Energy and Mines within one month.

The authorization consolidates an installation that grows in peak power but operates with less access capacity, a common pattern in the non-urbanizable land of Camp d’Elx, where shared evacuation conditions the sizing of solar projects.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Alicante, No. 215 of November 11, 2026, II. Autonomous Administration, page 1 (official reference: 8139/2026).