Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of June 9, 2026, from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines |
|---|---|
| Publication | June 27, 2026 |
| Effective date | June 27, 2026 |
| Affected developer | Lavanda Desarrollos España, SL |
| Project | El Secarral photovoltaic installation — 93 MW of installed capacity, Alicante province |
| File | PFot-553 |
| Connection substation | Elche 220 kV |
| Expiration date of access and connection permits | November 13, 2024 |
| Approved EIA | May 2023 |
| Category | Energy / Renewables |
The El Secarral photovoltaic project, with 93 MW of installed capacity in Alicante province, cannot proceed under its current authorizations. The resolution from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines (DGPEM), published on June 27, 2026, rejects the modification request submitted by Lavanda Desarrollos España, SL and closes file PFot-553. The decision combines two substantive reasons that, separately, would have been sufficient to block the project.
What does this resolution establish?
The resolution rejects the request for modification of the prior administrative authorization, the administrative construction authorization, and the declaration of public utility of the El Secarral project. The reasons are two, cumulative:
- Divergence with the Environmental Impact Declaration (EIA) approved in May 2023: The proposed modifications to the evacuation line routes of 30 kV and 220 kV significantly departed from the routes evaluated in the original EIA. This requires opening a new Environmental Impact Assessment procedure (EIA), which the developer expressly refused to initiate.
- Expiration of access and connection permits to the transmission grid: The access and connection permits at the Elche 220 kV substation expired on November 13, 2024, as the construction authorization was not obtained within the legally established timeframe.
A relevant procedural detail: the developer itself, Lavanda Desarrollos España, SL, agreed with the rejection proposal during the hearing process, which accelerated the closure of the file without need for further administrative controversy.
Economic and operational impact
The closure of file PFot-553 does not imply the definitive loss of the project, but it does mean a restart from advanced stages of the administrative procedure, with the associated costs and timelines:
- Mandatory new EIA: Any substantial modification of evacuation routes (30 kV and 220 kV) requires a new environmental assessment procedure. This process can take between 12 and 36 months depending on project complexity and the administrative burden of the evaluating body.
- Loss of access and connection permits: The permits at the Elche 220 kV substation already expired in November 2024. To reconnect the project to the transmission grid, the developer must request new permits, competing with other projects in queue and assuming corresponding processing costs.
- Investment in engineering and processing already incurred: The costs of prior development (studies, technical projects, administrative fees) are not recoverable and must be considered as operational loss of the closed file.
- Impact on financing and power purchase agreements (PPAs): Uncertainty about the commissioning timeline may affect the viability of financing contracts and energy purchase agreements linked to the project.
Who does it affect?
- Lavanda Desarrollos España, SL: Direct promoter of the El Secarral project. It is the primary party affected by the closure of file PFot-553.
- Photovoltaic developers with projects in processing in Spain: The resolution is a reminder of the risks of expiration of access and connection permits when construction authorization is not obtained on time.
- Investors and funds with participation in renewable projects in development phase: Grid permit expiration and the need for new EIA are risks that must be properly valued in investment models.
- Legal advisors and energy processing consultants: Must review the timelines of their project portfolios to avoid similar situations.
- Financing entities for renewable projects: Loss of connection permits can trigger breach clauses in financing contracts for projects in development.
Practical example
The El Secarral case illustrates a concrete and frequent risk in the development of large-scale photovoltaic projects in Spain: the desynchronization between EIA timelines and access and connection permits to the transmission grid.
In this case, the project's EIA was approved in May 2023. However, when the developer proposed modifying the evacuation line routes of 30 kV and 220 kV, those modifications no longer fit within the approved environmental framework. At the same time, the access and connection permits at the Elche 220 kV substation expired on November 13, 2024 because construction authorization was not obtained in time.
The result: a 93 MW project that must restart its essential procedures, with all development costs already incurred and no possibility of recovering them. A developer who had earlier detected the incompatibility between the new routes and the current EIA could have initiated the new EIA process in advance, also avoiding the expiration of grid permits.
What should companies do now?
- Review the status of access and connection permits for all projects in portfolio: Verify the expiration dates of permits at connection substations and cross-reference them with the expected timelines for obtaining construction authorization. Expiration, as in El Secarral, can occur without prior administrative notice.
- Audit consistency between current routes and the approved EIA: Any significant modification of evacuation routes must be evaluated against the current EIA before submitting the modification request. If there is divergence, initiate the new EIA procedure as soon as possible.
- Do not refuse to initiate a new EIA procedure if necessary: As this case shows, refusing the new EIA when required leads directly to rejection. It is preferable to assume the cost and timeline of a new environmental assessment than to lose the entire file.
- Communicate the risk to investors and financing entities: If there are permits close to expiration or modifications pending environmental assessment, proactively inform financial stakeholders to avoid surprises in financing contracts or PPAs.
- Evaluate restarting the file with specialized advice: If the developer wishes to continue with El Secarral or other projects in similar situations, it must plan the restart from advanced stages of the administrative procedure with legal and technical support specialized in energy processing.
Frequently asked questions
Why has the 93 MW El Secarral photovoltaic project in Alicante been denied?
The resolution from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines rejects the modification request for two cumulative reasons: the new evacuation line routes of 30 kV and 220 kV significantly departed from those evaluated in the Environmental Impact Declaration approved in May 2023, requiring a new EIA that the developer refused to initiate; and the access and connection permits at the Elche 220 kV substation expired on November 13, 2024, as construction authorization was not obtained on time.
Can Lavanda Desarrollos España restart the El Secarral project after this denial?
Yes. The resolution closes file PFot-553, but does not prevent the developer from initiating a new procedure. To do so, it must, at minimum, process a new Environmental Impact Assessment covering the modified routes and request new access and connection permits to the transmission grid at the Elche 220 kV substation, since the previous ones expired in November 2024.
What happens when access and connection permits to the transmission grid expire in a photovoltaic project?
The expiration of access and connection permits, as occurred in El Secarral on November 13, 2024, means that the project loses its capacity reservation at the connection substation (in this case, Elche 220 kV). To reconnect the project to the grid, the developer must request new permits, competing with other projects in queue and again assuming the timelines and processing costs.
When is it mandatory to initiate a new EIA procedure in an already authorized photovoltaic project?
When the proposed modifications to the original project significantly depart from what was evaluated in the current Environmental Impact Declaration. In the case of El Secarral, the changes to the evacuation line routes of 30 kV and 220 kV exceeded that threshold, requiring a new EIA procedure. Refusing that procedure, as the developer did, leads directly to rejection of the modification request.
What practical lesson does the El Secarral case leave for other renewable project developers in Spain?
The case shows that desynchronization between EIA timelines and access and connection permits to the transmission grid is a real and costly risk. Developers must actively monitor the expiration dates of their grid permits, audit the consistency of any modifications with the approved EIA before submitting them, and not refuse to initiate a new EIA if legally required, as doing so guarantees loss of the file.
Official source
Consult complete regulation at official source (BOE-A-2026-13995)
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-2026-13995