Wind towers in front of the Gulf of Olbia, mega plants on the routes of cetaceans and at risk there is also one of the symbolic images of Gallura and Sardinia, the unique landscape of the mountain in the middle of the sea, the island of Tavolara. The Nurax offshore wind farm project is one of the most impactful ever, 33 wind turbines 300 meters high 40 miles from Olbia. But no one is moving or has moved significant observations to the initiative of Nurax Wind Power srl. This is stated in the minutes of the Conference of Services of April 4th and the other documents of the current phase of the authorization process. In fact it is a green light, albeit indirect, to the project. And it is immediately worth noting the harsh protest to the Municipality of Olbia by the Gallura Coordination against wind speculation. The movement called into question the administration led by Mayor Settimo Nizzi: «The Municipality of Olbia did not participate in the Conference of Services and did not send any opinion on the installation off Tavolara of 33 290-meter wind towers that are highly visible from every observation point, both panoramic and at sea level». In fact, the Municipality of Olbia did not formalize any observations. The Coordination also reports that the Nurax cable duct will reach Pittulongu: «Do the citizens of Olbia know that the cable duct of the offshore plant called “Nurax” will cross their city? That it will pass through their woods, near their homes? Did anyone inform them? Of course not. It is shocking to read the minutes of the Conference of Services that was held on the subject on April 4, telematically, like any meeting on zoom. A small connection of an hour and a half to discuss the death sentence of Northern Sardinia».

Mountain municipalities involved

The mayor of Olbia, Settimo Nizzi, has repeatedly expressed his favorable opinion on offshore installations, while he is against inland installations. The Regional Port Authority and the Industrial Consortium of Olbia (recipients of the invitation to the conference on April 4) have not made any observations to Nurax either. The Forestry Corps has made its observations, but only on the works for the connection point of the Nurax cable duct in Pittulungu. The invitation was also notified to the Municipality of Loiri Porto San Paolo, which has not made any observations. Mayor Francesco Lai explains: «We are not interested in this plant, but in the Tibula project. And in fact, together with other Municipalities, for example San Teodoro, we have expressed an absolutely negative opinion. In any case, we are against offshore wind farms». The singular fact of the calls for the Nurax Services Conference is that inland municipalities were involved (Tempio, Erula, Bortigiadas, Ploaghe, Luras, Telti, Calangianus, Padru, Perfugas, Chiaramonti and Codrongianos) while coastal towns such as Arzachena, Golfo Aranci, La Maddalena, Budoni, San Teodoro, Posada, Siniscola, Santa Teresa and Palau did not receive the notification. The mayor of Arzachena, Roberto Ragnedda, has given full mandate to his offices to oppose in every way both the Nurax project and another mega park, the Poseidon, with seventy towers. The same goes for the mayor of San Teodoro, Rita Deretta.

«They experiment on us»

The mayors know that the towers fall in an area of underwater canyons, where there are seven species of cetaceans, dolphins, sperm whales and fin whales. The mayor of Golfo Aranci, Giuseppe Fasolino, says: «The data that worries us, in addition to the failure to convene the coastal centers, is the experimental nature of these projects. We would like to ask the proposing companies the questions we ask ourselves. Where and how were these towers experimented and tested? How can we access the technical documentation? What impact do they have on the landscape? It must be clear that experiments of this type cannot be done on our sea».

Andrea Busia

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