TotalEnergies and Soltec have obtained construction authorisation for a 200MW project in Murcia, in southern Spain.
The Luminora Solar Dos project will enter construction in 2024 and will create more than 2200 jobs, both direct and indirect, during its construction phase, the developers said.
The project features 337,174 bifacial photovoltaic modules and 5341 solar trackers, supplied by Soltec.
In the project’s design, both companies have implemented various environmental protection measures as social and environmental guarantees included in the Environmental and Landscape Integration Plan of the project.
In order to preserve biodiversity, prior flora surveys have been conducted and measures such as the installation of vegetative screens, replanting of native species, as well as anti-collision measures have been implemented to protect avifauna.
Similarly, the use of the territory by the Bonelli’s eagle and the golden eagle has been monitored, with one of these species being GPS-GSM tagged to monitor its movements and enhance knowledge of its evolution in coordination with the environmental authority of the autonomous community.
The project includes initiatives such as the installation of self-consumption solutions in the Red Cross headquarters and in several public buildings belonging to the Murcia City Council, as well as measures aimed at enabling the residents of nearby towns to reduce their energy bills or to participate economically in the project.
Yago Mancebo, General Manager of TotalEnergies Renewables Spain, said: “Obtaining the construction permit for this project is a major step forward that will allow us to contribute both to the decarbonisation of the environment and to the development of local economies, all while ensuring the protection of the biodiversity of the surrounding area.
“We are very proud to continue working to make our region a more sustainable place while contributing to its economic growth.
“Decarbonizing the economy is a major goal and we are particularly pleased to work on projects where biodiversity and communities are at the forefront.
“We will continue to work with TotalEnergies as a top-tier partner to invest in projects that benefit society as a whole,” said Raúl Morales, CEO of Soltec.
In addition to the planned environmental measures, studies are being carried out by the Steppe Forward Chair, driven by TotalEnergies along with the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), through its foundation, and the Center for Forest Science and Technology of Catalonia (CTFC).
This pioneering initiative in Europe is aimed at generating the scientific knowledge necessary to minimise the impact of solar generation on the environment, through the monitoring of agro-steppe systems and the design of specific protocols for application in parks, from the design phase to the operational phase.