The farmland spanning four hundred hectares between the towns of Villena, Biar, and Canyada is the site chosen for a solar power facility planned by a Norwegian state enterprise. A decision published in the Provincial Official Gazette on Monday, June 20, 2022, confirms the submission for the Fontetes photovoltaic project. The plan envisions converting solar energy into electricity that will travel through an intermediate substation network and along a 50-kilometer high-voltage line to Cantalar substation, located in the municipality of San Juan. A procedure listed recently in the Official State Gazette outlines the request for a public-interest designation. In such cases, land directly affected by the project can be expropriated for fair compensation, potentially allowing immediate occupation without prior agreement from all rightful owners.
The project is estimated to bring about 170 megawatts of power at a capital cost of around 80 million euros. Importantly, the development is designed to avoid occupying natural protected spaces. Only five hectares are categorized as strategic forest land. The layout also minimizes disruption to the Vinalopó River, placing photovoltaic panels on either bank of the river and steering clear of the regional corridor that runs through Valle de los Alhorines.
The impacted area sits at the foothills of the Sierra Villenera, within the municipal boundaries of Villena and near neighboring towns such as Canals and Biar. The land consists mostly of small, dry plots and irrigation allotments owned by a diverse set of private individuals, in proximity to the Chicharra green road.
Ecologists have reviewed the project and issued a formal commentary. They emphasize that while the photovoltaic installation itself would have minimal environmental impact due to mitigation measures, the high-voltage transmission line poses greater concerns. The line, spanning 50 kilometers, would cross areas of considerable natural value. Critics suggest the energy flow could be redirected by routing it to closer substations in Beneixama or Elda to lessen ecological disruption, a point raised in local press coverage.
Activists have a window of one month to file formal allegations with the court. The review process involves the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines and the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, both of which will assess whether to approve or reject the Valencia organizer’s request. The project has been undertaken under a contractual agreement with the Norwegian state-owned company behind the initiative.
In summary, the Fontetes project represents a sizable step in regional renewable energy development, balancing targeted solar capacity with environmental safeguards and the practical realities of high-voltage transmission infrastructure. Observers continue to monitor the process for updates on permitting decisions, compensation mechanisms for landowners, and the overall impact on local ecosystems and communities.