Green light for the environmental impact of the expansion of two pig farms in Lleida

The Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition has published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) number 9735, dated August 21, 2026, two resolutions making public the favorable environmental impact statements for the expansion of two porcine livestock farms in the municipalities of Alcarràs and Soses (Lleida). The agreements, approved by the Environmental Committee on June 2, 2026, are formalized through resolutions TER/2974/2026 and TER/2973/2026, signed by the Director General of Climate Change and Environmental Quality, Sonsoles Letang Jiménez de Anta.

Two expansions, two promoters

Resolution TER/2974/2026 (reference CVE-DOGC-A-26226051-2026) gives the green light to the project of the company Matges Dolcet, SL in Alcarràs (file L1CS190586). Resolution TER/2973/2026 (reference CVE-DOGC-A-26226050-2026) authorizes the expansion of the Explotació Ramadera Morreres, SCP in Soses (file L1CS190650). In neither case are new constructions planned: the expansion is carried out on existing facilities.

• Alcarràs: increases from 1,875 to 2,570 breeding sow spaces, from 68 to 6 boars, and from 100 to 300 replacement gilts.
• Soses: increases from 500 to 420 breeding sows, from 4 to 2 boars, from 25 to 60 replacement gilts, from 1,800 to 2,060 piglets, and from 1,150 to 2,010 fattening pigs.

Slurry treatment and nitrogen reduction

Both farms are located in areas vulnerable to the pollution of water bodies by nitrates of agricultural origin, which is why the treatment of livestock waste is a central axis of the statements. In Alcarràs, a solid and liquid fraction separator and a nitrification and denitrification (NDN) treatment are planned, which must reduce the nitrogen load by 60%. In Soses, the farm with official mark 7910BF generates 16,708.93 kg of nitrogen, with a 30% reduction in nitrogen excretion; 10,861 kg are managed within the agricultural framework over 104.27 ha in a vulnerable zone and the rest through an authorized waste manager.

The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has reported that the increase in slurry entails a potential risk of pollution of water bodies, but views the planned treatments positively and conditions the expansion on obtaining the right to divert water to supply the livestock. In the case of Soses, the overall environmental impact is qualified as moderate, and additional measures for the waterproofing of ponds and pits and for the protection of biodiversity are imposed, given the presence of the Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata), an endangered species.

Processing and participation

The files were processed by the Unified Environmental Management Office (OGAU) of Lleida, which submitted the environmental impact studies for public consultation in the DOGC (no. 8997, of 8.9.2023, for Alcarràs; and no. 9560, of 10.12.2025, for Soses). No allegations were made during the public consultation process, and in the case of Alcarràs, none were presented during the neighborhood exhibition at the City Council. Participants included, among others, the Catalan Water Agency, the Waste Agency of Catalonia, the Catalan Climate Change Office, the Department of Culture, and the environmental organizations IPCENA, EGRELL, and the Federation of Ecologists in Action of Catalonia.

Impact for readers

The two environmental impact statements, signed on August 13, 2026, open the door to increasing livestock capacity in a region with a high concentration of pig farming, but condition the activity on strict control of waste in a territory declared vulnerable to nitrates. For residents and the sector, the news represents a balance between the competitiveness of the farms and the protection of water resources, with measures that must be rigorously complied with during operation.

Source: Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no. 9733, August 21, 2026, Announcements section (official references: CVE-DOGC-A-26226051-2026 and CVE-DOGC-A-26226050-2026).