Soltec, TotalEnergies pick up enviro permits for Spanish solar

Spanish solar energy group Soltec Power Holdings SA (BME:SOL) announced on Wednesday that it has received environmental permits for 401 MWp of solar projects in Spain, some of which it co-developed with France's TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE).

The French multi-energy company is a partner in 352 MW of those projects, holding a 65% stake in their special purposes vehicles (SPVs), while Soltec owns the remaining 35%.

The 401 MWp of capacity will be distributed across 16 solar farms located in Spain's southeastern provinces of Murcia and Alicante.

Soltec said it had received favourable environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for the projects from the Spanish ministry for the ecological transition, which suggests a capacity of 50 MW and more per solar farm or that the plants and their infrastructure were designed to cross the Murcia-Alicante regional border. In these cases, EIAs and permits for energy projects are in the hands of Spain's central government.

The milestone for Soltec is also notable due its arrival just as the government was approaching a legally prescribed deadline to approve or reject EIAs for renewables, while being overwhelmed with applications. The deadline for certain projects covered by a 2020 law expired on January 25.

Soltec said that all of its projects were supposed to meet the EIA deadline in January were successful.

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