Green light for the environmental impact of the Miravall de Torregrossa solar plant

The Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition has made public the environmental impact agreement for the Miravall solar photovoltaic plant (4,300 kW) and its evacuation line, promoted by Ríos Renovables, SLU, in the municipality of Torregrossa (Pla d’Urgell). The resolution is published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) no. 9751, dated September 15, 2026, with the reference CVE-DOGC-A-26250004-2026.

The Renewable Energy Panel adopted the agreement on June 4, 2026, and Resolution TER/3196/2026, dated September 4, signed by the Director General of Environmental Policies and Natural Environment, Marc Vilahur Chiaraviglio, gives it publicity. The project, with file FUE-2023-03331761 (OTAALL20240128), is subject to a simplified environmental impact assessment pursuant to Annex II of Law 21/2013 and Decree-law 16/2019, on urgent measures for the climate emergency and the promotion of renewable energies.

A 4.3 MW project in Pla d’Urgell

The plant will be installed in the area of Coma Balanguera, divided into four sectors on plots 40, 41, and 42 of polygon 11 and plots 31 and 32 of polygon 8, covering approximately 8.2 hectares of irrigated herbaceous crops. The main technical data are:

• Nominal power of 4,300 kW and installed power of 4,358.20 kWp.
• Estimated annual production of 9,034,548.60 kWh and savings of 2,465.19 tons of CO₂ per year.
• 6,226 photovoltaic modules, 79 solar trackers, and 2 transformation centers, with a voltage of 25 kV.

The energy, together with that from the Lo Salat plant (located about 3.5 km to the south), will be evacuated via an underground 25 kV line that will run approximately 6,192 m along municipal roads to the distribution network, with the final section to the Juneda substation as an independent project.

Impact on the territory and fauna

The agreement determines that the project does not have to be submitted to an ordinary environmental impact assessment, as it does not have significant effects on the environment. However, the faunal study confirms the presence of protected species, such as the red-legged partridge (Tetrax tetrax), which is endangered, and the red kite (Milvus milvus); therefore, the works on the underground line may only be carried out between July 15 and the end of September or October, and always during daylight hours.

The proposal does not affect protected natural spaces, the Natura 2000 network, or the PEIN; the nearest space, the Tossals de Torregrossa, is located about 1.1 km away. The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation and the Catalan Water Agency report favorably, on the condition of obtaining the corresponding authorizations for works on the public hydraulic domain.

Conditions and corrective measures

The agreement incorporates a list of additional conditions that the promoter must comply with:

• Stripping and recovery of topsoil and execution of clearings following existing paths.
• Prior survey to rule out protected fauna or flora species.
• Perimeter fencing of the hunting type, permeable for medium and small-sized fauna.
• Promotion of biodiversity with nest boxes, shelters, and native vegetation cover.
• Archaeological control of earthworks and preservation of the stone hut and the rammed earth fence found.

The neighborhood and the allegations

During the hearing process, Unió de Pagesos requested the annulment of the project due to alleged absolute nullity in relation to Law 3/2019 on agricultural spaces, but the promoter argued that there is no impact on higher-quality agricultural land and that it remains within the occupation thresholds for irrigated land (less than 5%) and rainfed land (less than 10%) of the municipality. No allegations to the project have been received.

The decision represents a step forward for the implementation of renewables in the Pla d’Urgell, in a context of growing pressure on the region’s agricultural land. For the residents of Torregrossa, the project will entail a change of use of irrigated lands, but also water savings and a reduction of nitrates in the water table, according to the report.

Source: Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no. 9751, September 15, 2026, Announcements section (official reference: CVE-DOGC-A-26250004-2026).