Environmental green light for the Valdelentisco desalination plant's solar plant

The General Directorate of Environmental Quality and Evaluation of MITECO has formulated the environmental impact statement for the project “Valdelentisco Desalination Plant. Photovoltaic solar plant, in Cartagena-Mazarrón (Murcia)”, by means of the resolution of August 31, 2026, published in the Official State Gazette number 223, of September 9, 2026, section III, page 120735 (official reference BOE-A-2026-18894). It is signed by the director general Marta Gómez Palenque.

The promoter is Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterráneas, S.M.E., SA (ACUAMED), and the substantive body is the General Directorate of Water of MITECO. The purpose of the project is to reduce the energy costs of desalinated water production through the supply of renewable energy generated at the solar plant, so that water reaches irrigators at an affordable cost and the overexploitation of aquifers is reduced.

Characteristics of the solar plant

The installation will be located in the municipality of Mazarrón and is included in the Hydrological Plan of the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation 2022-2027. The estimated annual energy for direct self-consumption represents around 35% of the energy consumed by the expanded desalination plant. Its main technical data are:

• Power of 54 MWp, with 78,840 modules distributed across 7 enclosures.
• 1,477 single-axis horizontal N-S solar trackers, connected to 143 inverters and 8 transformation centers.
• Underground medium-voltage network of 30 kV and perimeter fencing of 11,330 m covering 92.60 ha.
• Underground evacuation line of 30 kV and 7,764 m to the 30/132 kV step-up substation of the desalination plant.

Selection of the alternative

The environmental impact study analyzed three location alternatives. Alternative 2 was selected, covering 152.44 ha of irrigated agricultural crops between Mazarrón, Puerto de Mazarrón, and Bolnuevo, as it was the optimal solution according to the multi-criteria analysis. The “no-action” alternative was rejected because it would not cover part of the energy demand with renewable sources nor contribute to the state and European objectives for the promotion of renewables.

During the processing, consultations were received from organizations such as the Mancomunidad de Canales del Taibilla, the Mazarrón Irrigation Community, the Mazarrón City Council, Iberdrola Distribución SAU, Red Eléctrica de España, Enagás, and Adif, among others, as well as allegations from I.M.M. and the Agrupación Agrícola Perichán. In response to the Mancomunidad, the promoter modified the layout of the evacuation line and set back the fencing.

Environmental conditions

The declaration establishes conditions and preventive, corrective, and compensatory measures, including an environmental monitoring program with monthly tracking during construction and throughout the plant’s useful life, monitoring of bird and bat mortality, and measures to avoid impacts on the Natura 2000 Network, given that the evacuation line runs through the SCI and SPA La Muela-Cabo Tiñoso. Monitoring compliance is the responsibility of the Directorate General for Water, in coordination with the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines.

The environmental impact statement is not subject to administrative appeal, without prejudice to any appeals that may be filed against the project’s authorization act. With this environmental approval, the solar plant becomes a key element in reducing the cost of desalinated water that supplies approximately 19,139 ha of irrigation in the region, reinforcing the guarantee of water supply against the overexploitation of aquifers.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 223, September 9, 2026, Sec. III, p. 120735 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18894).