This new route, already published in the BOE (Official State Gazette), will stretch over 200 kilometers, from Escatrón (Zaragoza) to the La Secuita electrical substation, passing through Els Aubals in the municipality of Garcia. The line triples the current capacity, featuring a dual circuit of 220 kV and 440 kV, requiring the installation of towers between 20 and 55 meters high.
The project will directly affect 28 municipalities in the Terra Alta, Ribera d'Ebre, Tarragonès, Priorat, and Baix Camp regions. The most concerned sectors are agriculture and environment, as the infrastructure poses a threat to the continuity of farms, especially for DO Terra Alta Winegrowers, and involves the fragmentation of ecosystems and ecological corridors.
“"It seems absurd to bring energy from so far away, considering that in 2027 the PLATER comes into force, which will serve for the production of proximity energy."
In addition to the landscape and agricultural impacts, risks to the health of citizens continuously exposed to high-voltage electromagnetic fields have been highlighted. The project also entails the devaluation of residential, agricultural, and tourist lands, as well as restrictive rights-of-way and non-cultivation easements for the affected properties.
The Government of Catalonia has declared the line to be of general interest, a legal status that allows for the accelerated expropriation and occupation of land. This measure, applied to all renewable projects, has drawn criticism from opponents who argue it limits freedom of expression and citizen mobilization against projects that favor industrial interests, such as the Tarragona petrochemical complex.
