- According to data from the Basque Government, the requests for the installation of solar plants in Álava by Solaria Eguzki Generation, SLU, are 25 and affect twelve Alavese municipalities. Of these, 24 are 49.89 MW or more of power: among them, they would total more than 1,234 MW and cover more than 3,455 hectares of land in the districts of Vitoria, Gorbeialdea and Añana. Solaria plans to bring this electric current to Bizkaia, for which it has built a high-voltage line of over 100 kilometres. Sixteen associations have called for a demonstration on 26 October in Vitoria-Gasteiz under the motto 'Underway'.
So far, three projects of solar plants that Solaria has presented in Álava have been mentioned in the media: Zierbena Solar 2, 3 and 4. Those intended to be built in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Zigoitia and Ribera Baja in Armiñón and which provides for the construction of a high-voltage line over 100 kilometres that will connect with the substation of Zierbena (Bizkaia). Each of them would be 49.89 MW of power.
They are somewhat larger, each of 49,895 MW, another 21 projects presented by Solaria in the Basque Government, all with the name “Zierbena Solar” ahead of the corresponding number. And there is a slightly smaller project of 36.99 MW.El July 30, the Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi LETAMENDIA, announced this data in response to the request for information from the PP parliamentarian Ana Morales Peral. According to this information from the Basque Government, the 25 projects are in the same situation, “in processing”.
In total over 3,455 hectares
What scope would each of the 25 projects that Solaria wants to carry out in Álava? We have taken as an example the Zierbena Solar 2 project that you want to build in Ribera Baja Armiñón, which you can see on April 22 in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV):The forecast is 143.97 hectares (49.89 MW of power). Of the 25 projects, 24 will have the same or slightly higher power and are expected to cover more than 3,455 hectares.
Lands of twelve villages
Three districts of Álava will be affected by these 25 projects of Solaria: Añana, Gorbeialdea and Vitoria. It is the lands of twelve cities and towns that Solaria wants to cover with solar power stations, specifically those listed below.
Vitoria-Gasteiz: it aims to land seven projects (Zierbena Solar 1, 4, 5, 22, 23, 24 and 29, the latter slightly smaller, 36.99 MW).
Zigoitia in the Gorbeialdea region (three projects: Zierbena Solar 1, 3 and 25) and Arratzua-Ubarrundia (two projects: Zierbena Solar 1 and 22).
Valdegovía in the region of Añana (four projects: Zierbena Solar 8, 9, 10, 12), Ribera Alta (four projects: Zierbena Solar 6, 7, 11 and 18), Armiñon (four projects: Zierbena Solar 2, 11, 15 and 17), Lantarón (three projects: Zierbena Solar 9, 10 and 13), Berantevilla (three projects: Zierbena Solar 15, 19 and 21), Zambrana (three projects: Zierbena Solar 16, 19 and 21), Iruña de Oca (two projects: Zierbena Solar 5 and 18), Ribera Baja and Kuartango.
Initiatives against these solar power plants
The Deputy General of Álava, Ramiro González, questioned to the media the suitability of the three projects of Solaria that were then discussed: he claimed that it makes no sense for the production of energy in Álava and the consumption in Bizkaia to cause unnecessary damage to biodiversity.
In July several municipalities submitted claims: Amurrio, Zuia, Ayala, Abanto, Galdames, Gordexola and Zierbena. The Town Hall of Ribera Baja approved a motion against the implementation of large renewable infrastructures in high-strategic value soils.
On 10 July 16 associations submitted more than 50,000 claims to the Zierbena Solar 2, 3 and 4 projects. The associations include Araba Bizirik, Arabako Mendia Aske, AHTrik Ez, and UAGA. And they have called a demonstration for October 26 in Vitoria-Gasteiz to “stop insanity”.
The Lurra network has recently submitted allegations against the high-voltage line from Álava to Bizkaia. Iñaut Matauco explained on 28 July in Berria that allegations have been made of the Zierbena Solar 1 project and denounced that Solaria has committed a "law fraud" by considering that only 8.5% of the electric transport line and processing the Earth as an evacuation line what the network considers a transport line.