Written by: Islam Al-Saqqa
The "Omico" solar energy project, which the Spanish company "Forestalia" intended to implement, has been officially announced as cancelled, based on the company's own request after the expiration of the electrical grid connection permit.
Details of the Cancelled Project
The project planned to install 87,570 solar panels in the municipality of Tauste in the Zaragoza province, with an installed capacity of 46.5 MW. The plan included transporting the produced energy via an electrical line 220.559 kilometers long, passing through Navarra, La Rioja, Álava, and Burgos (specifically the areas of Condado de Treviño and Puebla de Arganzón), reaching the Jundiz industrial zone in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Expiration of the Legal Permit
Licensing procedures began in July 2021; however, the permit from "Red Eléctrica de España" (the grid operator) for connection to the transmission and distribution system expired in October 2023, after the expiration of the legal deadline of 31 months. Although the environmental impact declaration was issued in November 2023 for both the "Omico" and "Tara" projects together with a combined budget of 138.2 million euros, the project proceeded individually since June 2025 before the owner company "Omico Energy Unlimited" (a subsidiary of Forestalia) requested the archiving of the project in June 2026.
Context of Previous Project Cancellations
This cancellation comes months after the cancellation of another wind farm complex belonging to the same company in August 2025, citing "technical complexity." It is noted that the former president of Forestalia, Fernando Samper, is involved in investigations regarding alleged irregularities in obtaining environmental permits for other renewable energy projects.
