After constant harassment of local stakeholders, which had established the infringements committed by the wind farm installation and operation company which was approved for construction in location Fragkaki of Andros, the competent services of the Ministry of Finance revoked the relevant licence.
For several months, local stakeholders in Andros had been taking a series of actions and pressuring the competent authorities, as there had been a breach of environmental commitments with which the company should have complied. More specifically, the infringements mainly concern the creation of an entire infrastructure (pier) in the area of the seashore, which belongs to a Natura 2000 area and where any permanent alteration of the environment is prohibited.
Indeed, during an autopsy by the Port Authority of Andros and after a relevant inspection, the violations were found and the Port Authority ordered the cessation of operations and filed a complaint. However, according to the available information, the company continued to work as normal until the license to use the seashore was definitively revoked by decision of the Director of Public Property of the Ministry of Finance.
Concern and reactions to the protection of Spizaetou
It is worth noting that this investment in Fragkaki Andros is not the only one, as the area is suitable, according to the investors, for the exploitation of the increased wind load.
Nevertheless, the opposition of local authorities and the residents of Andros has been strong from the beginning, not only against the alteration of the unique natural environment (included in the Natura Network) that such installations require, but also for the protection of the Spisaetou, a protected species of bird, which builds its nest in this area, within a radius of less than one kilometre.
For their part, the representatives of the company did not seem to share the strong concern of the local community on the issue of the risk of the Spisaetas of Andros, as was evident in a relevant workshop organized by the Municipality of Andros, which was attended by the public, but also by the representatives of companies that have received a license for the installation of wind farms on the island. The company's representative at the time had dismissed any concerns, noting that the wind farm would not affect birds, referring to the relevant environmental impact study that had been approved.
Nevertheless, both the local community and the island's institutions, as well as the Hellenic Ornithological Society, had strongly expressed their objections to this development.
Specifically, the Ornithological Society had stressed, among other things, that «perforated ornithological studies were the Trojan horse to give the green light to the construction of two wind turbines with 11 wind turbines in south Andros. Specifically, the wind turbines are located in the areas of Fragaki - Rachi Xirokobi, within the Natura 2000 network area and a stone's throw from a nest of the Spitza Eagle, an endangered species in our country».
The Ornithological Society had pointed out that «the area, in which the construction of one Wind Farm has already begun, precisely because of its great importance for the Common Eagle, is included in the areas of the European Project «LIFE Conservation and Management of the Common Eagle population in the Eastern Mediterranean (LIFE Bonelli eastMed)» in which the Ministry of Environment and Energy participates as a partner».
At the same time, the EEA argues that the studies that have been carried out since 2011 «suffer from a number of data deficiencies and methodological errors, as described in detail in the relevant letter of the LIFE Bonelli eastMed Programme to the Ministry of Environment and other competent authorities in September 2020».
A lot of reactions to the illegal constructions
In addition to the many reactions regarding the inadequate protection of Spizaetos, another reason for sharp protests to the competent authorities was given after the start of the works, as there was a violation of the environmental conditions for the construction of the ASPEE.
As recorded a few months ago in a statement by the Philoprood Club «The Gavrio», «the destruction continues, this time on beaches that constitute ecosystems of special protection (EU directive Article 6 on the protection of Natura sites). It has become known from the internet, the construction of an arbitrary pier on the seashore of the area Steno D.E. Korthi of concrete, with a coating of massive cobblestones and although the Port Authority from 3/11/2021 that found the illegality and ordered to stop the work by filing a complaint, the work continues normally. This construction as well as the opening of a road of many meters, width and length along the coastline that was made for the unloading of the wind turbine parts for the Frangaki location, has opened the appetite of other companies that have received permission and in particular, a plan for a pier with a continuous road was made public, at Zorko beach (one of the most beautiful beaches nationwide). The remarks about temporary structures that will be dismantled when the installation is completed do not reassure us, when the relevant Study states that this structure will be used throughout the period of operation of the A/G».
The reaction was immediate and the reaction of “Save Andros” civic group”, which stressed that the company, «in violation of the approved AEPO, dug up the entire sandy beach, spread rubble, placed hundreds of concrete blocks, poured concrete and made a pier about 16 m long in the sea. They forgot that the area is Natura and had to submit a full environmental study for such projects.».
In the context of the complaints, an inspection was carried out by the Port Authority, which in its report referred to infringement of the approved studies.
However, the local community, using the internet as a ’weapon«, shared documents showing that, despite the violations, the company continued to operate as normal.
At the same time, the publications and the posts of the residents and friends of Andros on social media and the media, were submitted as a report to the Parliament by the local MP of SYRIZA-PS, while a relevant question was also addressed to the competent ministers by a MP of MERA25.
The withdrawal decision
Following all the above actions, the competent services of the Ministries were pressed to intervene on the issue.
Therefore, on 05 January, by decision of the Head of the General Directorate of Public Property and Public Assets of the Ministry of Finance, S. Bakas, issued a decision to revoke the decision to grant the right to use the seashore and continuous sea area to GREEK WIND POWER S.A, for the execution of the project «Construction of a Wind Power Plant (APSPEE), 15 MW, at the location of Fragaki, of the Municipality of Korthi, Municipality of Andros», due to non-compliance with the terms and conditions set in the above decision, as shown by the 10-12-2021 Inspection Report of the Head of the Land Service of Cyclades A,’ on the beach of the area «Steno» of n. Andros.
Specifically, according to the decision, the works in progress are:
α) They have been implemented in a different location (about 25 m south) from the one granted by the aforementioned decision of the Head of the General Directorate of Public Property & Common Properties of the Ministry of Finance.
b) They have exceeded the 287,47 sq.m. of the seashore and continuous sea area, granted by the same aforementioned decision, by 208,53 sq.m. and
c) They have been constructed with different materials than those foreseen in the Environmental Impact Study of March 2017, on the basis of which the Environmental Conditions were approved by the Environmental Impact Assessment No. 7613/05.04.2018 (IDA: 7ZT84653P8-40S) decision of the Minister of Environment & Energy and according to which the aforementioned decision of the Head of the General Directorate of Public Property & Public Assets of the Ministry of Finance was issued, i.e. from concrete blocks, sandbags, iron plates, concrete, etc, instead of the timbermats provided.
