Today, Monday, 20 June, the construction works for the Morella-La Plana electricity line have begun. In compliance with the planned schedule, the first stage of the work for the line starts with a first phase that consists of laying the foundations of 30 electricity towers located in the municipalities of Morella, Cinctorres, Castellfort, Ares del Maestrat, Benassal, Culla and Torre d'En Besora. In all these cases, the Company has signed amicable agreements with the owners of the land where the towers will be constructed.

The works included in this first phase involve clearing away vegetation, the appropriate opening or adaptation of access paths to the towers and, finally, the earthworks and concreting works for the tower foundations. These tasks can now be carried out by virtue of the Prior Administrative Authorisation published in the BOE (the Official State Gazette) on 18 March by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and because this phase has received all the necessary permitting authorisations from the pertinent sectors. The assembly and erection of the towers and the hanging of the conductors require the construction permits and the Declaration of Public Utility of the project, both of which are still pending to be granted.

It should be borne in mind that the new infrastructure will contribute to reaching higher levels of reliability, efficiency and sustainability of the electricity supply in Castellon and the Region of Valencia, reducing energy losses in the grid and facilitating progress to be made in the energy transition. The line will transport electricity which is essential for the economic recovery of the province, as a key instrument in the generation of wealth. Its construction involves an overall investment of more than 60 million euros as well as the enlargement of the Morella and La Plana substations. With a length of 86 kilometres, this new double-circuit, 400 kilovolt (kV) HV power transmission line is included in the current 2021-2026 Grid Development Plan.

Similarly, and in accordance with the Environmental Impact Statement approved in February 2021, its commissioning will imply the dismantling of the current route, a project whose administrative permitting process has already been initiated by Red Eléctrica and for which a budget of more than 4 million euros has been earmarked. The dismantling and removal of the current line, which crosses natural landscapes and areas of heritage interest, will give way to a new route that has been designed with sustainability criteria and will therefore generate a clearly positive impact on the territory. The new line will have 25% fewer towers than the current one.

Furthermore, Red Eléctrica is currently analysing how the complete project stands, from an administrative viewpoint, in order to plan the next steps to be taken. The Company is also maintaining contact with the main players in the territory -municipalities and other stakeholders- as it has been doing throughout the various stages of the project, in order to generate a space for collaborative dialogue within the scope of social development on a local scale.