Koutrafas residents oppose PV park installation

Residents of the Nicosia district village of Koutrafas on Thursday voiced opposition to plans for what they described as an “unacceptable and massive” photovoltaic (PV) park in their area.

“We are collecting signatures to deliver to President Christodoulides and the speaker of parliament, and we are immediately demanding an independent environmental study, the institutional protection of arable land and full transparency regarding those involved,” a local initiative group said in a letter.

The complaint concerns plans to construct a photovoltaic park with an energy storage capacity of 2,765 megawatts in Pano Koutrafas.

The group stressed that it is not opposed to green energy, but objected to the installation of PV parks on fertile agricultural land.

“We refuse to sacrifice our fertile land, flora, fauna, the region’s climate and groundwater for large commercial interests,” the statement said.

Koutrafas is located around 38 kilometres from Nicosia. The village, consisting of Kato and Pano Koutrafas is famous for its stone bridges and stone watermill.

Thursday’s statement follows a community council meeting on the controversial PV park held on Tuesday.

The village was home to 14 people as of 2001 and has decreased continuously since 1973, when it stood at 58 people, with the largest number of residents recorded in 1931, at 130 people.