Otter traces delay plans for Denmark’s largest solar park

Several years-old otter traces in Store Vildmose, a natural area in northern Jutland, have delayed plans for Denmark’s largest solar park, DR reports.

The Planning Appeals Board has halted plans for the Energipark Rendbæk Øst project, which includes a solar park covering more than 800 hectares.

The board acted after a complaint from Jesper Dalgaard Krogh, a neighbour of the project. It said Jammerbugt Municipality had not adequately examined whether the project could affect otters, a protected species in the nearby Natura 2000 area in Vildmosen.

“I believe that in this case it is so massively destructive to a fantastic natural area that it is justified to complain and intervene,” Krogh said.

Mogens Gade, chairman of Jammerbugt’s Climate, Technical and Environment Committee, said the municipality had made an error by failing to assess the environmental consequences in advance.

“It appears to be a mistaken assessment we made, but it was done with our eyes open. Our idea was to carry out the environmental assessment at a later stage, once the local plan was in place. The Planning Appeals Board has a different view,” said Gade, who previously served as the municipality’s mayor.

If the solar park is to go ahead, an entirely new project will be required and the planning process will have to start again. Gade did not rule out that possibility.

“If BioCirc or others come forward with a new project, the Planning Appeals Board has not said that a solar park cannot be built because otter traces were found in 2017. But as a municipality, we must consider how to ensure that the possible otter can live in harmony with a solar park,” he said.

While the solar project has been delayed, 15 wind turbines are being erected in the area as part of Energipark Rendbæk Øst.