October 16, 2013
Spain

Bird discovery threatens closure of 50MW project

15 October 2013 by Michael McGovern | Windpower Monthly | www.windpowermonthly.com

A Spanish court has ruled null and void local authority permits granted to a 50MW wind plant, partly owned by Italian utility Enel, that has been in operation for three years.

Avian group SEO Birdlife brought the case to court. It discovered the regional government of Castile and León had concealed official environmental reports highlighting the importance of a local bird species, the urogallo, in the vicinity of the Peña del Gato wind project.

The plant is located in the Omaña and Cepeda districts, close to the world’s southernmost population of the urogallo.

SEO Birdlife is considering whether to call for a precautionary closure of the Peña del Gato, pending the verdict of the developer’s appeal, which can take several years.

The ruling is the second threatened closure of an operational wind plant in Spain. An appeal is still pending against a court ruling to dismantle 25 of 33 turbines at developer Acciona’s 49.5MW Serra de Tallat plant in Catalonia.

[rest of article available at source]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/10/16/bird-discovery-threatens-closure-of-50mw-project/