Yzabelle Bostyn
Ecologists have appealed to the Spanish government to stop the underwater electrical connection between the peninusula and Ceuta.
Stretching from Puente Mayorga through the Gibraltar Strait, environmental activists Ecologistas en Accion Verdemar believe it will cause huge environmental impact.
The project will supply power from thermal power stations located in the Campo de Gibraltar, which use fossil fuels.
In a statement, the group warned that Puente Mayorga residents will live ‘just metres’ from the proposed substation, supplying 1,600 megawatts of electricity to Ceuta.
The area is already home to a petrochemical plant which processes 14 million tons of crude oil.
They say this will ‘continue massacring’ residents and will amplify the impact that existing wind and photovoltaic projects are having on the area’s flora and fauna.
“These projects are being installed in agricultural areas and bird habitats without the proper permits,” said Verdemar.
“It is impossible to properly assess the environmental viability of an installation if you don’t take into account the other projects in the area,” they continued.
“Infrastructure like this will collapse the Campo de Gibraltar even more.”
They claim three wind turbines stationed in the Mar de Alboran could supply Cueta with electricity.
According to energy company Red Electrica, the amount of energy generated and consumed in Ceuta in 2022 was 195.399MWh, of which 99.8% came from diesel generators.
