Solar plant project proposed in Jacarilla with high-voltage line crossing Vega Baja towns

New plans have been advanced for a solar energy project in Jacarilla, featuring a photovoltaic plant and an evacuation infrastructure that will span across six municipalities in the Vega Baja region. The Official Gazette of the Valencian Government published an announcement regarding the application submitted by Zaragoza-based company Premier SPV 11 to install the Rojales I photovoltaic plant.

The project involves an investment exceeding 3.6 million euro and will feature a capacity of almost 5 megawatts alongside 8,568 photovoltaic modules. Located in Jacarilla, the site sits in an area defined by dryland farming and an environment shaped by human activity. The documentation notes a low presence of wooded areas, with agricultural land and degraded zones making up the majority of the landscape alongside the urban fabric.

Project assessments indicate that the visual intrusion on the landscape is medium, though considered not significant due to high levels of fragmentation and human modification. The documentation also highlights a medium level of impact on the local population, as the land is situated south of the municipality near the Vistabella and Entrenaranjos urbanizations of Orihuela.

The site is positioned less than one kilometre from the Sierra Escalona and its surroundings Protected Landscape and nearly 4 kilometres from the Abandoned Meanders of the Segura River wetland. It remains outside the riverbank protection zone and avoids public utility forests and community interest habitats, though a specific type of dry scrubland sits approximately 363 metres away. Developers state that planned facilities will respect livestock trail protection limits, while temporary occupation has been requested for paths including the Fuente Amarga path, the Ermita del Carmen cattle track, the Serranos path, the Catral cattle track, and the Torrevieja cattle track.

Six locations affected

The high-voltage evacuation line will span nearly 13 kilometres, utilizing existing roads and highways with both underground and overhead sections. It will affect five additional municipalities in the region: Orihuela, Algorfa, Almoradí, Los Montesinos, and Rojales. The final connection point will be established in Rojales through a new substation transferred to i-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes for integration into the local substation network.

Four other photovoltaic projects are currently under review within a 5-kilometre radius. These include the Vista Bella plant by Vistabella Renovables, Jacaranda Solar by Jacaranda Solar SPV, PSF Vega del Segura by Mercia Servicios Integrales, and Lo Capitán by TM Renovables Energías Las Moreras.

Because the Rojales I installation has a capacity of under 10 megawatts, it bypasses the standard environmental impact assessment. The project is classified as low-priority under a decree-law issued by the Valencian Government, allowing the regional administration to expedite processing and halve standard procedural deadlines to accelerate clean energy implementation.