Protected birds halt 5 MW solar project in Cyprus
"The Environment Department in Cyprus has rejected a 5-megawatt solar park near Aradippou due to irreversible risks to protected bird species—including the long-legged buzzard and Bonelli's eagle—within the adjacent Koshi–Pallourokampos Special Protection Area, citing permanent habitat loss, fragmentation, and severe disturbance from proposed infrastructure expansion."
EU Directive 2019/790 Article 15 Attribution • Verified Energy Document
The Environment Department in Cyprus has rejected an application for a 5-megawatt solar park near Aradippou, citing severe, negative, and irreversible risks to protected bird species within the nearby Koshi–Pallourokampos Special Protection Area. This decision, supported by a Special Ecological Assessment report and the Ad-hoc Committee's negative opinion, aims to prevent further ecological degradation of the critical habitat.
The proposed solar park’s construction and operation would lead to significant environmental impacts, primarily through the disturbance and loss of habitat essential for species covered by the reserve’s conservation targets. Direct effects include the permanent loss and fragmentation of breeding, foraging, and resting areas, displacement of species utilizing the site, and alterations to conditions favorable for breeding. A potential loss of nesting habitat for the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) was also identified.
Furthermore, the project was found to cause indirect and synergistic impacts on bird species, largely due to increased disturbance from the expansion of the road network and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus's power transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Ecological surveys conducted in the area revealed the presence of 55 bird species, with nine of these being strictly protected under the European Union Birds Directive. Of particular concern are the long-legged buzzard and Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata). The long-legged buzzard faces a direct risk of nest abandonment resulting from noise and disturbance, while the Bonelli’s eagle is threatened by reduced prey availability and the danger of colliding with overhead power lines.
The Environment Department concluded that the direct proximity of the proposed site to the Special Protection Area rendered the project's approval impossible.