1,400 Trees to Be Cleared for Cyprus' Largest Solar Park

Cyrus Solar Thermal Ltd plans to build Cyprus' largest solar park, with a total installed capacity of 180 MW, in the communities of Litrodontas, Kataliontas, and Matiatis. To facilitate the construction and operation of photovoltaic systems, 1,400 pine trees, each over 25 years old, will be removed along with several younger trees.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report highlights the main environmental impacts of the construction phase, including the clearing of a large area of vegetation, high levels of noise, and dust.

The total area allocated for development is approximately 3,372,941 square meters, with around 73% of this area being occupied by the structures.

The solar park will cover about 2.5 million square meters. The energy generated by the project is estimated to be 300,000 MWh per year. It will feature 264,712 photovoltaic panels.

The project also includes an energy storage system with a capacity of 80 MWh, enabling continuous energy production throughout the year, which could potentially result in an annual output of 303 GWh.

Researchers expect that the solar park will have a positive impact on the renewable energy sector by significantly reducing the reliance on traditional fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, it has been noted that the pines in the study area have been infested by the pine weevil, also known as the pine beetle, which is highly damaging to coniferous trees. Contact with its larvae can also cause allergic reactions in people. The pine beetle feeds on the needle-like leaves of pine trees, causing them to shed both locally and across the tree, and can induce drought conditions in smaller trees.