The so-called Aigaio 486 MW wind project worth 1.5 billion euros failed to obtain environmental permit. The Greek Ministry of Energy and Environmental protection has rejected the environmental permit application for the project to be constructed on uninhabited islands in the Aegean Sea.
The application was submitted by Eunice Energy Group’s subsidiary Cycladic Meltemia. In its explanation of the rejection, the Ministry said that the project would cause lasting environmental damage. The ruling is issued following many months of public consultations regarding the project’s environmental impact.
According to the ruling, the application could not ascertain that the installation of the wind farm consisting of 106 turbines would not harm the integrity of the sites and the environment of the 14 islands. A major reason for the rejection was also the potentially harmful effects that the turbines would have on migratory birds. In addition, the project’s spatial plan overlaps with protected or special conservation zones within the Natura 2000 network.
