The Xunta Xunta rejects the Soesto wind farm, between Laxe and Vimianzo (A Coruña), for its impact on wildlife

The Xunta has denied the implementation of the Soesto wind farm, a project promoted by EDP Renovables between the municipalities of Laxe and Vimianzo in A Coruña, because it would generate an impact on wildlife, especially birds.

This is stated in the negative environmental impact statement (EIS) made public this Thursday by the General Directorate of Environmental Quality, Sustainability and Climate Change. The main argument is that the General Directorate of Natural Heritage issued in February of this year an unfavorable report due to the "high level of occupation of the environment" that the wind turbines implied.

Patrimonio Natural pointed out that Soesto's project would be located between 100 and 200 meters away from the Costa da Morte Special Conservation Area (ZEC) and about 600 meters from the Costa da Morte North Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA). In addition, as this department concluded, it would affect the protected landscape of Penedos de Pasarela e Traba.

The City Council of Vimianzo, in another report issued in October 2022, had also stated that the wind farm "does not comply" with the municipal and regional urban planning. However, there were departments of the Xunta -Turismo de Galicia and Defensa do Monte, among others-- that did not object to its processing.

It was a wind farm with two wind turbines and a total installed power of 12 megawatts that would have almost 9.7 euros of investment. It had been strongly criticized by environmental organizations, such as Salvemos Cabana, for the possible damage it would cause to the environment.

Another park with a favorable EIS

However, the Xunta has also made public this Friday afavorable environmental impact statement that allows to advance in the implementation of the wind farm of Bustelo e Baralláns, between Cabana de Bergantiños and Coristanco (A Coruña).

The first wind farm, also promoted by EDP Renovables, will have six wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 36 megawatts. The investment exceeds 28 million euros.

The Dirección Xeral de Calidade Ambiental, Sostibilidade e Cambio Climático has formulated a favorable EIS because it sees the project as "environmentally viable".

In fact, Patrimonio Natural issued a report last February that highlighted that the park is not in "any figure of protected natural spaces" and "does not affect" either wetlands or areas with threatened birdlife.

Construction of the Serra de Liñares project

On the other hand, the Xunta has published this Thursday in the Diario Oficial de Galicia (DOG) the administrative authorization for the construction of the wind project Serra de Liñares, located in the municipalities of A Fonsagrada and Negueira de Muñiz in Lugo.

In this case, it is promoted by the company AV Serra de Liñares and will have an installed power of 48 megawatts after an investment of 35.5 million Euros. It is an initiative that dates back to more than a decade ago, since it was already contemplated in a list of wind projects published by the Xunta in March 2010.

However, the developer company resumed the project in 2019 by requesting changes in the plan to the Directorate General of Energy and Mines, which accepted them in May 2020. Furthermore, in June 2021 the Consello de la Xunta declared it a priority business initiative.

After several more reports from other departments of the regional administration, finally, on December 21, 2022, the Directorate General of Energy Planning and Natural Resources issued this construction authorization, which three months later -this Thursday- was published in the DOG (Official Gazette of the Government of Galicia).