The Parliamentary Committee on the Environment will continue deliberations on the application for a 180MW solar park with 40MW storage capacity, spanning approximately 3.5 square kilometres, on state-owned and Turkish Cypriot land within the administrative boundaries of Lythrodontas, Analiontas, Kataliontas, and Mathiatis communities.
This proposed project has faced opposition even before the environmental studies were assessed by the relevant committees, primarily due to the planned felling of at least 1,400 mature pine trees and the presence of archaeological sites and excavation areas within the development zone.
The project site encompasses 22 plots, with 13 being state-owned land and 9 under Turkish Cypriot ownership but managed by the state. The combined area of these plots is 3,372,941 square metres, or 3.37 square kilometres. According to the Inspire Geoportal of the Department of Lands and Surveys, Ministry of the Interior, the estimated value of these plots ranges between €16,454,500 and €18,123,800.
During the public presentation on August 30, it was revealed that solar panels would cover approximately 25% of the total plot area, equivalent to 820,500 square metres or 0.82 square kilometres. Consequently, it appears that around 75% of the proposed project site has already been excluded to safeguard adjacent protected areas within the Natura 2000 network, steep slopes exceeding 25%, and watercourses in the vicinity.
In line with the Environmental Authority’s opinion dated February 21, 2022, on the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) for siting renewable energy projects in the electricity generation sector, the following areas should also be excluded: (a) Sites of archaeological interest, archaeological excavation areas, and declared ancient monuments, (b) areas with a significant number of trees and protected natural habitat types, (c) nesting sites and active territories of significant and protected bird of prey species, among others.
It is noted that the President of the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation, George Perdikis, submitted an objection to the Department of the Environment regarding the proposed solar project through the public consultation process.
The Movement of Ecologists concludes that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study arbitrarily and incorrectly asserts that the project’s nature will not result in environmental impacts. In reality, they argue, the project will have serious and irreversible consequences for the natural and human-made environment.
The Cyprus Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Federation (CHWCF) also voices strong objections. In a letter to the Department of the Environment, the CHWCF highlights that the project’s implementation may significantly limit hunting areas, negatively impacting hunters and the local economy.
Additionally, they emphasise that the felling of a large number of trees required for the project will have disastrous effects on the natural environment, worsening habitat conditions and negatively affecting the species inhabiting these areas.
During the public presentation on August 30, the Cyprus Foundation for the Protection of the Environment Terra Cypria raised several significant questions. Simultaneously, the Mathiatis Historical and Environmental Heritage Protection Group, along with affected residents and landowners, expressed serious objections and reservations.
In response, the project developer, Cyrus Solar Thermal Ltd, proposes compensatory measures. They state that they have carefully considered the concerns of the communities, residents, and competent authorities and have revised their initial plans, incorporating specific compensatory and corrective measures to mitigate the project’s environmental, natural resource, and local community impacts.
They proposed compensatory measures, which include:
- Free electricity for vulnerable groups
- Discounted rates for selected households
- Support for communities to become energy self-sufficient
- Funding for public benefit projects and archaeological initiatives
