Sardinian landscape in danger, the dossier: 3,700 wind and photovoltaic turbines on 86,212 football fields

In Sardinia a process of landscape deformation is underway. If it is not stopped, the result - then inevitable - will be only one: the destruction of that unique heritage of the Island. For this reason it is necessary that those who care about their destiny, the Sardinians but not only, have all the tools available to understand the extent of the devastating impact of the renewable energy production plants, which are intended to be created outside of any planning or proportion to the needs of the population and the environment itself. To the full advantage of those who speculate on the wind and sun of Sardinia, to earn billions.

And this is why the Sardinian Union publishes a dossier with all the data on a phenomenon that can only be defined in one way: an invasion. Of wind turbines hundreds of meters high, planted in the ground and floating on the sea, but also of immense expanses of photovoltaic panels.

HERE YOU CAN CONSULT THE SLIDES WITH ALL THE NUMBERS

The numbers speak for themselves, made public during the forum “Insularity is landscape & environment” which was held in recent days at the headquarters of the Sardinian Union. Illustrating them is the publisher Sergio Zuncheddu.

Their source is official: Terna, the company responsible for receiving and instructing the procedures for connecting to the electricity grid for all systems. Then there are the economic calculations: astronomical figures for those who collect them, little or nothing for those who see the territory compromised.

The Sardinian Union had raised the alarm on the issue as early as March 2022, when the process was already underway: "SOS Sardinia" was the title of the front page of March 13, designed outside the ordinary graphics used in the daily editions . Even then, we wanted to draw attention to the extraordinary nature of what was happening. There was data on the presence (updated in those days) of wind farms and photovoltaic panels on the island and forecasts for the future, again based on official maps. Impressive figures. Which have now more than doubled.

According to Terna's latest report, updated to March 31 , 809 requests for connection of renewable energy production plants to the national electricity grid have been submitted in Sardinia . If given the green light, they would produce 57.67 Gigawatts of power. The graphics made available (on the link) also allow identification of the location of the various concession requests. Selecting them all, it seems like seeing an island affected by an exanthematous disease: covered in spots and spots, from north to south. But also around, at sea.

The solar plants (524 practices) would produce 22.99 Gw, the on-shore wind power (254 practices) 19.99 Gw, while the offshore blades (31 practices) would release 17.82 Gw of power. Quantities that can satisfy the needs of 50 million inhabitants. Having done the math, if we consider a production of 6.8 MW per wind turbine, there would be 2,479 wind towers on land and 1188 at sea (each capable of producing 15 MW). Each between 200 and 300 meters high.

Then the photovoltaic. To produce one megawatt of energy, approximately 3 hectares of panels are needed. To reach 22,990 MW, 68,970 hectares would therefore be needed. Translated into a popular proportion: an area equal to that of 86,212 football fields will be covered.

Similar situation in Sicily and Puglia. In the north there are almost no requests: because it is on this side of the Tyrrhenian Sea (and in the other two southern regions) that energy must be produced for the Peninsula, which must move towards decarbonisation. Yet in the Po Valley there would be plenty of space to place plants.

And in a nutshell, those that obviously end up in non-Sardinian pockets: how much is the business? The calculation is quickly done. We are talking about around 150,000 euros per MW per year, for a total of over 8.5 billion. This is just about incentives. If we consider a capitalization rate of 0.7% , the financial advantage for speculators of the energy produced by the Sardinian sun and wind amounts to 122 billion. And the landscape? Destroyed.

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)