Favorable environmental report for new electrical line Lugo-Asturias: what it means for Viesgo in 2026

Key data

Viesgo Distribución Eléctrica SL can proceed with its electrical link project between the Pandela sectioning center (A Fonsagrada, Lugo) and the Busqueimado transformation center (Santa Eulalia de Oscos, Asturias). The Resolution of July 27, 2026, published in the BOE on August 22, 2026, issues the simplified environmental impact report with a favorable result, which exempts the company from undergoing an ordinary environmental impact assessment, a notably longer and more costly process.

However, approval is not unconditional. The processing required the promoter to make substantial modifications compared to the original project, and the report includes binding requirements from agencies of three different administrations: Galicia, Asturias, and the General State Administration.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution approves a project composed of three differentiated elements. Each has its own technical and environmental scope:

The report concludes that the project does not require ordinary environmental impact assessment, which represents a significant saving of time and administrative resources for Viesgo. However, the project remains subject to all conditions and requirements established by the consulted agencies of the three administrations involved.

The key to the process was the modification that the General Directorate required from the promoter during processing: the underground section between supports 6 and 7 was not in the original project and was an imposed condition to protect the protected natural area that the route crosses.

Economic and operational impact

For Viesgo Distribución Eléctrica SL, the favorable report has a direct and immediate operational impact:

• Ordinary assessment is avoided: the simplified procedure is substantially faster than the ordinary one, which reduces construction start times and processing costs.
• Additional costs from requirements: the 223 m underground section between supports 6 and 7 implies an execution cost higher than an equivalent overhead section. The installation of collision devices on both lines (the reformed and the new one) adds equipment costs that were not foreseen in the original project.
• Risk of paralysis if conditions are not met: the requirements from consulted agencies are binding. Non-compliance with any of them can lead to suspension of works or revision of the favorable report.
• Coordination with three administrations: Galicia, Asturias, and the General State Administration have issued their own conditions. Viesgo must manage compliance with each one independently.

From the perspective of electrical supply in the area, the project improves the connection between the municipalities of A Fonsagrada and Santa Eulalia de Oscos, two mountainous territories with aging electrical infrastructure.

Who does it affect?

• Viesgo Distribución Eléctrica SL: project promoter and main party bound by the environmental report requirements.
• Municipality of A Fonsagrada (Lugo): municipality in whose territory part of the route runs.
• Municipality of Santa Eulalia de Oscos (Asturias): municipality in whose territory the other part of the route runs.
• Biosphere Reserve «Río Eo, Oscos y Terras de Burón»: protected natural area whose integrity motivated the requirement for 223 m of underground section.
• Companies and individuals with electrical supply in the area: will benefit from the improvement of distribution infrastructure once the project is executed.
• Contractors and civil and electrical engineering companies: underground works and installation of collision devices will generate execution contracts.

Practical example

Viesgo initially presented a project with an entirely overhead route. During processing of the simplified report, the General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment detected that the route between supports 6 and 7 ran through the interior of the Biosphere Reserve «Río Eo, Oscos y Terras de Burón».

As a condition for issuing the favorable report without referring the case to ordinary assessment, the promoter was required to modify the project to underground that specific section: 223 meters of line that, instead of going through the air, must go underground. Additionally, the installation of bird collision devices was imposed on the entire reformed «Santa Eulalia» line and on the new overhead route.

The result: Viesgo assumes a higher execution cost in that specific section, but obtains environmental approval without needing an ordinary procedure that could have extended processing by an additional 12 to 24 months.

What should companies do now?

1. Viesgo Distribución Eléctrica SL must review all requirements issued by the consulted agencies of Galicia, Asturias, and the General State Administration, and incorporate them into the executive project before construction begins.
2. Plan the 223 m underground section between supports 6 and 7 as a critical element of the construction schedule, given that it involves underground civil works with greater logistical complexity than the overhead route.
3. Contract and certify the installation of bird collision devices on the reformed «Santa Eulalia» line and on the new overhead route «Fonsagrada 1 link with Santa Eulalia», documenting their installation to prove compliance with competent agencies.
4. Coordinate with the three administrations (Xunta de Galicia, Government of the Principality of Asturias, and General State Administration) the compliance with their respective conditions, as each can require independent certification.
5. Interested contractor companies should contact Viesgo to participate in the bidding processes for underground works and installation of bird collision devices.

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-2026-18029