The business group Sacyr has three wind polygons in the north of the Region of Pamplona, in the valleys of Erro, Esteribar, Anue and Olaibar. It is a single project, artificially distributed in three, which plans to transfer the electricity it would generate to Orkoien, with an electric line of 25 kilometres, passing through the valleys of Ezkabarte and Txulapain, and the municipalities of Berrioplano and Orkoien.

The three parks have a total of 141.7 megawatts, for which 29 wind turbines of 200 meters height are expected. As a result of the large infrastructure needed for its construction, important natural surfaces affecting beech, oak and pine trees will be destroyed, affecting a total of 46 hectares, regardless of the condition caused by the electricity line. All this in a natural environment rich in avifauna, as research itself has identified the existence of important colonies of bats and predators such as thousands, vultures, white vultures, eagles, hawks, hawks and mammals, among others.

Also in Tierra Estella

On the southern slope of the Sierra de Andía, in the Urbasa Andía Natural Park, the wind turbines would be located in the municipal terms of Lezaun and the Gesalaz Valley (Iturgoien), some of them attached to the limit of the Natural Park (according to project). The 25-kilometre electric evacuation line would also enter this protected area along 3.24 kilometres, passing through the municipalities of Lezaun, Gesalaz, Goñi, Etxauri, Olza and Orkoien.

This wind polygon has an installed power of 52 megawatts and its 13 wind turbines would reach 180 meters high. Another 45 hectares of vegetation would also be affected here. Among the avifauna detected in the Environmental Impact Study of the project are vultures, black eagle, white vulture, peregrine falcon and quebrantabones, among others.

Therefore, “we see that these projects that are supposed to be built to combat climate change have a very serious impact on the natural environment,” says the Subai Erakuntza Foundation. As a result of climate change, “mountain forests and the humid and cold climate will move north and to higher altitude areas, so their presence in Navarre will be reduced. If we add to this that these wind projects destroy forests, we will see that in the future biodiversity and protective ecosystems against climate change will be in serious danger of extinction in Navarre, and we will still have fewer tools to deal with the expected climate changes.”

In these macro-policies, the Foundation does not see solutions and therefore sees the need to resort to another energy model that includes renewable production distributed in small installations throughout the territory and which will also gradually reduce energy consumption. For those who want to delve into this new explosion of renewables, the foundation has published a leaflet this year that analyzes in depth the boom in renewables. This ARGIA report also addresses the issue.