The boom of solar power plants is coming to an end, only four more will be built

Mělník - Four new photovoltaic power plants are expected to be built in Mělník and its surroundings. The construction was approved by the environmental department of the Mělník town hall. However, the boom in the construction of photovoltaic power plants in Mělník is waning, as the department has not received any new applications in the last six months. Jiří Hakl, head of the administrative department of the environmental department of the Municipal Office in Mělník, told ČTK.
    The last approved solar power plant is located in the municipality of Strážnice near Vysoká. The original intention of the investor for a power plant covering 20 hectares was initially rejected by the environmental department, but it was later approved, albeit only on four hectares. "Plans for large photovoltaic power plants over more than ten hectares are unacceptable to us," said Hakl. The department claims it would never approve a power plant like the sixty-hectare facility in Nová Ves near Kralupy nad Vltavou.
    Conservationists are troubled by the significant disruption to the landscape, the limitation of habitats for wildlife, and the deterioration of animal migration due to fencing. In the past, this has led to the rejection of projects such as a power plant in Byšice or a plan that involved the construction of a solar facility in a forest. Conservationists have very few options to prevent construction. "Conditions must always be met to ensure that the landscape is not disturbed," added Hakl.
    The investor also had to change the location in Strážnice, and the photovoltaic power plant will be situated in a less visually exposed area. "Moreover, it will be shielded by greenery," Hakl added. Currently, there are 14 power plants in Mělník and its surroundings, for example in Horní Počaply or Mělník - Blatech. Eight of them are larger than one hectare. The largest is a six-hectare facility in Vysoká Libně. A solar facility is currently being constructed in Hostín, and the construction is being prepared in Vysoká, Jeviněves, and Cítov.
    The rapid growth of solar power plants in the Czech Republic was linked to high state support, which attracted several new investors to this sector.