Plans for seven photovoltaic projects are currently being processed by the regional department for energy and climate change. These are small projects with a combined 20.66 megawatts which will increase the availability of photovoltaic renewable energy by 25%.
At present, there is a total of 79 megawatts output. In the pipeline are much bigger projects that will add almost 200 megawatts more. The large photovoltaic parks of Santa Cirga and Cap Blanc are, however, encountering opposition from environmentalists.
Five of the seven small projects are in Majorca - two in Bunyola, two in Llucmajor and one in Consell. The government wants to encourage these schemes, but pressures from public bodies (such as town halls) as well as environmentalists are restricting their size. The latest technology is, meanwhile, reducing the cost of the solar panels.
An incentive for companies is likely to come from Madrid. While the national energy ministry wants to persist with the coal-fired power station in Alcudia for cost reasons, it is nevertheless studying the award of 60 million euros of financial assistance for renewables. This would be money shared between the Balearics and the Canaries and it would be combined with additional funding from Europe.
Joan Groizard, the director-general for energy and climate change, says that this financial support will mean that small-scale renewables' projects can be more profitable. Without this financing, he believes, only large-scale photovoltaic parks will be truly viable.
4 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Great that the island finally taking steps forward with renewable energy, persisting with a coal powered station for cost reasons is beyond me considering solar is probably cheaper than coal on a sun soaked island like ours. What they should be doing is scrapping the sun tax so everyone can have the opportunity to produce their own power and take pressure of the grid.
Why not restore all the derelict windmills that blight the whole island and convert them to generate electricity, these buildings are part of the islands heritage. Rejuvenate them and once again they could be useful.
I have always been amazed that those countries with lots of sun for a large part of the year do not fully embrace solar energy especially with fossil fuels having a finite future and uncertain supply in times of strife,solar energy has to be the future for those countries lucky enough to be able to make the most of it.
Not a moment too soon. This island could be almost independent of fossil fuel energy if the solar and wind power is properly set up.