The environmental associations have denounced that the works being carried out have consequences for marine mammals and the judge agrees with them. Therefore, the works must be stopped for four months. However, the decision does not affect the works in Hego Euskal Herria.
The Environmental Court of Baiona has accepted the request of three environmental groups to suspend the Gatika-Bordeaux submarine electricity cable project. The Court has thus decided that work on the high-voltage line between Gatika and Bordeaux must be halted.
The environmental associations have denounced that the work being carried out has consequences for marine mammals and the judge agrees with them. The court finds it proven the sonars used in these underwater works are harmful to dolphins and other mammals.
Therefore the works must be that stops for four monthsIn the meantime, the construction company will have to carry out various improvements and investigations, otherwise it could be fined.
However, the decision will not affect the work at Hego Euskal Herria, although it could delay the completion date of the work. The company has the possibility to appeal and environmental organizations have expressed their satisfaction with the court’s ruling.
The interconnection figures
The Spain-France connection through the Bay of Biscay is the first underwater electrical connection between the two states and will increase the interconnection capacity with France from the current 2,800 MW to 5,000 MW.
The connection has a length of 400 kilometers between the Gatika substation and the Cubnezais substation (near Bordeaux) and a budget of approximately 1.75 billion euros.
It will consist of four cables, two for each link, on direct current and with a capacity of 2×1000 megawatts. The length of the land part is 13 km in Bizkaia and 80 km in France.
The new electricity interconnection was declared a ‘Project of Common Interest’ (PIC) by the Commission and the European Parliament on 14 October 2013, under the European energy infrastructure regulation.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
