The Environmental Authority has rejected the proposed construction and operation of a photovoltaic park in the Troulloi community of Larnaca district.
The project, which would have had a power generation capacity of 11.67MW and energy storage capability of 6MW/12MWh, was denied following a unanimous recommendation from members of the Ad-hoc Committee for Special Ecological Assessment.
The committee examined the Special Ecological Assessment Study regarding the project’s potential impacts on the Koshi-Pallourokampos Special Protection Area (SPA), which forms part of the Natura 2000 network.
Analysis revealed that the construction and operation of the solar park “would likely have significant, negative and irreversible” impacts on the Special Protection Area, primarily due to disturbance to specific protected species that define the conservation status of the area.
The Ad-hoc Committee recommended against proceeding with the proposed project, considering the significant cumulative impacts it would have when combined with other existing and planned developments affecting the protected elements of the SPA.
All members of the Ad-hoc Committee voiced opposition to the project. The Game and Fauna Service, as the competent authority for the SPA, justified its negative position by citing:
- Significant impacts due to the area that would be occupied and the required supporting infrastructure
- Substantial cumulative impacts in combination with other projects that could affect the SPA
- The proposed project’s location within dispersal and foraging areas of important predatory bird species that define the SPA’s protected status
The Department of Forests also opposed the project due to significant impacts on the SPA area, cumulative effects, and interference with the area’s defining species.
The Cyprus Ornithological Society, Terra Cypria, and the Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus all presented negative assessments, substantiating their opposition with several key concerns:
- The project’s location within vital foraging habitat for protected species, specifically the Eleonora’s Falcon, which could lead to potential abandonment of nesting sites
- The project’s proximity (50 metres) to nesting sites of the Stone Curlew, a defining species that could abandon the area after construction as it nests in open barren areas
- Significant cumulative impacts in combination with other projects in the same area
- Failure to achieve the conservation objectives of the SPA
The Troulloi Community Council, Aradippou Municipality, and the Holy Monastery of Saint George Mavrovouniou also expressed their disagreement with the proposed project, along with residents, farmers, livestock breeders, and hunters from the area.
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