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The Minister of the Environment, Matos Fernandes, revealed this Wednesday that he had suspended the environmental impact assessment for the construction of photovoltaic panels in the Quinta da Torre Bela, in Azambuja, where last week 540 animals were slaughtered in a mountain.
“After speaking with the Portuguese Environment Agency, I decided to suspend the environmental impact assessment. The license depends on the environmental impact study. The previous study is out of date, the situation has changed,” the official stressed to “SIC Notícias.” .
Matos Fernandes said that he gave “30 days to the Portuguese Environment Agency to carry out the necessary investigations so that these investigations can result in a reformulation of this study or an addition to it.”
In addition to the suspension of the environmental impact assessment, a process that is in public consultation until January 20, for the construction of photovoltaic panels in Quinta da Torre Bela, the minister revealed that the Government has filed a complaint with the Public Ministry , having also been ordered an inspection for all tourist hunting areas (around 1500).
Photovoltaic plant companies deny relationship with Mount
Also during the afternoon, the companies promoting the photovoltaic solar energy parks designed for the Herdade da Torre Bela, in Azambuja, assured that “they have no relationship” with the killing of 540 animals in a forest.
It involves the execution of two photovoltaic solar energy projects, promoted by the companies Aura Power Rio Maior SA and CSRTB Unipessoal Lda. (Neoen Group), with the future location planned for Herdade da Torre Bela, where the assembly and hunting took place. which is being investigated by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), which decided this Tuesday to suspend the license of the Tourist Hunting Area, with immediate effect.
The two companies affirm that, since the award made in the 2019 auction of the capacity reserve title for injection of renewable energy into the public grid, they have been working on the licensing process, included in the Environmental Impact Study, delivered to Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), “which obtained compliance in November 2020 and is currently in the evaluation process.” Environmental impact study that is now suspended.
Construction of the solar PV parks is expected to begin in the second half of 2021, when developers will only have the right to use the land on the site when works begin, the companies said, saying “the commitment was made by selling all the energy produced at very competitive energy prices ”.
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