Photovoltaic Parks in Ayios Ioannis Achera

The Project involved the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the construction and operation of a series of ten photovoltaic parks, in the Agios Ioannis, Achera Area in Nicosia District, for the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. The Project would form part of a greater development of 14 photovoltaic parks in total. The Project has a design production capacity of 68MW while the other four parks have a design production capacity of an additional 16MW. The Project aimed to contribute to achieving the national objectives set in the EU Climate and Energy Framework (2030), relative to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The total area of the development is approximately 173.55 hectares, and the Project comprised the installation of photovoltaic panels, electromechanical installations and connections and tree planting at specific areas of the development site. The Project included the installation works, along with demolition works of abandoned structures, groundworks for partial levelling of the ground and watercourse improvement / alteration works. All of the above were considered for the identification and assessment of potential environmental impacts from the construction and operation of the proposed Project.

The assessment included a desk study, data collection and analysis, consultation with Competent Authorities, execution of site visits, onsite data, mapping of environmental data, flora and fauna surveys, as well as the preparation and submission of the relevant deliverables to the contracting authority.

In addition to the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study, ALA provided consultation services to the client, aiming to minimize the number of existing trees that would need to be cleared for the construction of the Project. The design of the Project was altered so that the above was achieved, resulting in preventing the clearing of all the main existing tree lines within the site.