Lightsource bp delivered on Friday last week, October 2, to the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) the documentation relating to the reformulated Sophia Solar Park Project, meeting the deadline established within the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure. The delivery represents a new milestone in a reformulation process developed from the opinions of the competent authorities, from the technical and environmental work carried out, and from the contributions collected from the territory, as disclosed in a press release.
According to the same source, the result is a smaller project, less dispersed and with a different layout. The installed capacity planned is reduced from 867MWp to 573MWp, and the area occupied by panels is reduced by about 35%. The grid connection solution was also simplified, moving from two to a single high-voltage transmission line, with around 70% of its route following an existing electrical line.
The delivery occurred after, on September 21, 22 and 23, Lightsource bp voluntarily promoted three public clarification sessions in Penamacor, Idanha-a-Nova and Fundão, which brought together more than 150 participants. The meetings allowed presenting directly the reformulation, clarifying questions and continuing to collect contributions before the new phase of public consultation.
A new public consultation on the reformulated project is already underway.
Following the submission, the company reports that the APA has initiated the public consultation process for the reformulated project, with a duration of 10 working days. This phase allows the proposal to be reviewed and contributions to be presented within the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure. The reformulation results from the opinions of the competent authorities, the technical and environmental work, and the contributions gathered from the territory.
In the clarification sessions, Lightsource bp committed to voluntarily making all project documentation available in digital and printed formats, to facilitate access to information and support informed participation in the public consultation. At this moment, the documentation is already available on the Sophia Solar Park website (www.parquesolarsophia.pt). In parallel, the distribution of printed versions is already underway to the municipal chambers and parish councils covered, in coordination with the respective interlocutors.
“In the September sessions, we understood that many people have limited access to digital means and continue to favor information in paper. Although the legislation provides for the publication of the documentation on the Participa portal, managed by the Portuguese Environment Agency, we want to go beyond that obligation. Therefore, we are already making all project documentation also available in physical format, with emphasis on the Non-Technical Summary, which clearly and accessibly explains what is planned. We want to ensure that everyone can better understand the project and follow the process in an informed way,” says Miguel Lobo, Director-General of Lightsource bp Portugal.
Of the complete set of documents available, the Non-Technical Summary stands out, a document prepared to present in a simple and accessible way the main elements of the project, the identified impacts and the proposed measures. By its nature, it is a tool especially useful for anyone to know the project better and to follow in an informed manner the next phases of the process. Also notable is the Community Engagement Plan and Shared Benefits Program, which integrates this set, enabling a more complete understanding of the work developed with the territory and the measures planned under the project.
The dialogue with the territory will continue throughout the next stages of the Sophia Project.
