Cerezo Solar 52.5 MW Solar Plant in Madrid: What Changes with the New Authorization

Key data

Cerezo Solar, SLU can proceed with the construction of its 52.5 MW photovoltaic plant in the Community of Madrid after obtaining prior administrative authorization and construction authorization for the layout modifications. The resolution, signed on July 15, 2026 and published in the BOE on August 1, clears the main technical and administrative obstacles that had forced a rethinking of part of the original design.

The project is located in the municipal areas of Torres de la Alameda and Villalbilla, in the Community of Madrid, and its evacuation infrastructure operates at 220 kV.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution grants Cerezo Solar, SLU two simultaneous authorizations regarding modifications to the original project:

• Prior administrative authorization for modifications: legally enables the proposed layout changes.
• Administrative authorization for construction of modifications: permits the physical execution of works corresponding to those changes.

Furthermore, the public utility of the modifications is declared, which grants the promoter the capacity to request the occupation of the necessary land for the new layout through the legal mechanisms provided for this type of declarations.

The specific authorized modifications are as follows:

From an environmental perspective, the General Directorate of Biodiversity of the Community of Madrid has confirmed that the installation does not affect Natura 2000 areas or ecological corridors, which simplifies the framework of applicable environmental conditions.

The promoter is obligated to comply with:

• The technical conditions imposed by all administrations and service companies consulted during the processing.
• The Environmental Impact Statement of 2023, which remains applicable to the entire project.

Economic and operational impact

For Cerezo Solar, SLU, the resolution means the operational unblocking of the project. Without this authorization, the execution of the modifications would have remained paralyzed, with the consequent impact on construction schedules, supply contracts and possible penalties for delays in grid connection.

The declaration of public utility is especially relevant from an economic perspective: it allows the promoter to access the land affected by the new layout without the need for private negotiation in each case, reducing the risk of blockages by individual owners and shortening execution timelines.

The organizations whose requirements have motivated the layout changes are:

• Exolum: operator of storage and transport infrastructure for petroleum products.
• Adif-AV: administrator of high-speed railway infrastructure.
• Canal de Isabel II: public company managing the complete water cycle in the Community of Madrid.

Compliance with the technical conditions of these three organizations, plus those of other consulted administrations, implies additional costs for engineering and civil works compared to the original project, although the resolution does not quantify such amounts.

Who does it affect?

• Cerezo Solar, SLU: project promoter, directly enabled to execute the authorized modifications.
• Municipalities of Torres de la Alameda and Villalbilla: municipal areas where the installation is located and through which the new layout runs.
• Land owners affected by the new layout of the medium voltage underground line and the 220 kV evacuation infrastructure.
• Service companies with infrastructure in the area: Exolum, Adif-AV and Canal de Isabel II, which must coordinate their technical conditions with the project execution.
• Investors and financiers of the photovoltaic project, for whom the resolution reduces regulatory risk and facilitates financial closure.

Practical example

An investor or financial partner evaluating participation in Cerezo Solar, SLU can take the obtaining of this dual authorization as a positive signal. The project already had the Environmental Impact Statement of 2023 and now adds the authorization for layout modifications, which means that the two major administrative hurdles—the environmental and design modification—have been resolved.

From an execution perspective, the declaration of public utility of the modifications means that if any owner of land affected by the new layout of the medium voltage underground line or the 220 kV infrastructure refuses to grant passage, the promoter can resort to the forced expropriation procedure without needing to exhaust private negotiation, which significantly shortens the timeline for starting construction.

What should companies do now?

1. Cerezo Solar, SLU: review all technical conditions imposed by Exolum, Adif-AV, Canal de Isabel II and other consulted organizations, and incorporate them into the executive project before starting works.
2. Cerezo Solar, SLU: verify full compliance with the Environmental Impact Statement of 2023, which remains in force for the entire project, including the modifications now authorized.
3. Land owners affected: consult the modified layout published in the resolution to determine if their properties are included in the new scope of the public utility declaration.
4. Investors and financiers: update regulatory risk analyses of the project by incorporating the resolution of July 15, 2026 as a milestone for administrative closure of the modifications.
5. Energy sector companies with similar projects: note the procedure followed—layout modification due to archaeological site and infrastructure operator requirements—as a reference for managing similar situations in their own projects.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-16825