Environmental green light for two hybrid solar parks in Ávila

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 (EIS) for the project “Colladillo and Cabeza de Mesá photovoltaic solar parks,” by resolution of August 28, 2026, published in the Official State Gazette number 223, of September 9, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-18893). The project, promoted by Eólica Sierra de Ávila, SL, consists of the construction of two photovoltaic plants to be hybridized with the existing wind farms of the same name in the province of Ávila.

The facilities are located on rural land for agricultural use within the municipal boundaries of Padiernos and Niharra, in the Amblés valley (Castilla y León). The energy will be evacuated via 30 kV underground lines to the common “El Rincón” step-up substation, 30/132 kV, to be newly constructed in Padiernos. The substantive body of the procedure is the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines of MITECO, and the processing has complied with Law 21/2013, of December 9, on environmental assessment.

Technical characteristics of the plants

The final configuration of both plants was modified during the assessment to address the allegations of the Sub-directorate General of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity of MITECO, reducing the occupied area and the associated civil works:

• FV Colladillo: nominal power of 22,000 kWn and peak power of 26,438 kWp, with 36,720 modules on 765 trackers; fenced area reduced from 48.35 to 39.81 ha.
• FV Cabeza Mesá: nominal power of 27,000 kWn and peak power of 32,512 kWp, with 42,224 modules on 812 trackers; fenced area reduced from 59.08 to 50.47 ha.
• In total, 17.15 ha of land are released, two fenced enclosures are eliminated, and the medium-voltage underground lines are shortened (4,590 m in Colladillo and 2,632 m in Cabeza Mesá).

Protection of avifauna and environmental measures

The EIS conditions the execution of the project on an extensive program of preventive and monitoring measures, with special attention to the protected fauna of the environment. All surface area located within a 500 m radius around the identified lesser kestrel colony is excluded from implementation, and the loss of foraging habitat for the lesser kestrel within 4 km is limited to 5%. Specialized monitoring is established for species such as the Iberian imperial eagle, the red kite, the mongolian kestrels, and chiropterans, with biweekly mortality search visits during the first year of operation.

The environmental monitoring program (PVA) will verify plant restoration, fencing permeability, landscape integration, and compensatory measures, which will be maintained throughout the useful life of the facilities. A climate resilience analysis and the calculation of the full life cycle carbon footprint are also required.

Climate and Socioeconomic Impact

Renewable generation will avoid greenhouse gas emissions estimated at 9,830 annual tons of CO₂ equivalent for FV Colladillo and 12,469 tons for FV Cabeza Mesá, contributing to the objectives of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 and the European “Fit for 55” framework. The evaluation assesses the socioeconomic effects as positive, due to the creation of employment in construction and operation, leases to owners, and municipal revenues.

The environmental impact statement is incorporated into the project’s authorization procedure and, pursuant to Article 41 of the Environmental Evaluation Law, it is not subject to administrative appeal, without prejudice to any appeals that may be filed against the authorization act.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 223, September 9, 2026, Sec. III, page 120693 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18893).