The Department of Environment has advanced plans for a 180-megawatt solar park with 80MWh battery storage capacity to its next assessment phase, despite opposition from local authorities.
The project, planned across the communities of Lythrodontas, Kataliontas and Mathiatis, has cleared initial environmental screening after authorities confirmed it would not impact the nearby Yialias River, a protected Natura 2000 site.
The development will occupy approximately 2.5 million square metres, representing 73% of the total 3.37 million square metre site area. The installation will comprise 264,712 solar panels on state-owned and Turkish Cypriot land.
Environmental officials have mandated a 500-metre buffer zone between the development and the protected Natura 2000 area, in accordance with the Interior Minister’s Renewable Energy Licensing Framework directive 1/2024.
The project faces significant environmental challenges, including the planned removal of at least 1,400 mature pine trees aged over 25 years.
The site contains multiple watercourses, requiring five-metre protective zones on either side.
Local communities, situated between 3.2 and 4.4 kilometres from the proposed site, have expressed opposition to the development.
The project will connect to the national grid via an exclusive “express” transmission network, though the cable routing remains undetermined.
The Environmental Impact Assessment Committee will now evaluate additional factors, including archaeological sites, natural vegetation, protected trees, raptor nesting sites, high-value agricultural land, and areas of geological interest.
The development site spans various planning zones, including agricultural and livestock breeding areas, with slopes exceeding 25% excluded from development.
