Church, EAC in €70 mln venture for 14 solar parks

A joint venture of the Cyprus Church and the Electricity Authority has received the environmental green light to build 10 photovoltaic parks with a 68 MW capacity in the Nicosia villages of Ayios Ioannis Maloundas and Mitsero.

The 10 new solar parks will be added to the other four with a capacity of 16 MW already licensed after a positive opinion of the environmental authority in November 2019.

This consortium will create 14 photovoltaic parks with a capacity of approximately 84 MW, costing around €70 mln.

According to the report of the environmental authority, the photovoltaic parks will be developed separately and independent of each other but connected to the local power grid at different points.

The renewable energy project includes a substation of the Cyprus Electricity Authority, and construction work is expected to start next year and last until mid-2025.

The proposed 68 MW project is sited in a total area of ​​1,951,000 sqm, where there are tree crops.

Construction is expected to affect 200-300 eucalyptus trees, 15-20 carob trees, 10-15 olive trees and 15-20 pistachio trees.

But the solar parks do not affect protected Natura 2000 areas, according to the environmental report.