The GOB Mallorca, Arrels Marines, and the affected property owners' association ANACA warned this Wednesday that the project for a second electricity cable between Mallorca and Menorca is not a viable solution in its current terms and have called for a thorough review of the environmental impact study. They stated this at a press conference in Alcúdia, where they also presented the objections they have registered within the framework of the project's processing.

The citizens' platform ANACA reiterated its willingness to maintain a constructive dialogue with the Alcúdia City Council and asked to reopen the debate on the route of the electric cable after the meeting held this Monday with the mayor and members of the Council.

The GOB, in line with the Anaca platform, questioned the need for the second electricity cable between the Iberian Peninsula and Mallorca and demanded a less impactful alternative. This project, the environmentalists stated in a press release, not only has "potentially serious" environmental and climate impacts, but its technical and energy necessity has not been properly justified. Furthermore, less impactful alternatives, including prioritizing energy consumption reduction or other efficiency measures, have not been evaluated. Therefore, the GOB filed an appeal with the Ministry for Ecological Transition against the Council of Ministers' agreement approving the grid plan for 2026, which includes this second cable. "This criticism does not dismiss the importance of guaranteeing a secure supply, but rather asserts that energy planning cannot circumvent key issues such as reducing consumption, energy sovereignty, or the social and environmental cost of dependence on large infrastructures," the organization concluded.

The ANACA platform (New Agreement for the Alcúdia Cable) has once again questioned the Alcúdia City Council's handling of the PENBAL-2 electrical interconnection project, warning of a lack of transparency and technical consistency at crucial stages of the process. According to the organization, which brings together residents and community groups from the municipality, these shortcomings are particularly evident in the available documentation and in the way the local administration has responded to the route change proposed by Red Eléctrica de España (REE). This project, intended to strengthen the electrical interconnection between the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, has been the subject of public and administrative debate in recent months, with a route agreement involving various institutions, including the Alcúdia City Council. In ANACA's opinion, clear and accessible information has not been provided to all parties involved. Two views on transparency

In a recent statement, ANACA highlighted several points of contention: from the absence of key documents such as the minutes of the working group meetings, to alleged modifications of technical documents published on the municipal website that were supposedly not explained. According to the platform, this prevents citizens from rigorously evaluating the decisions made. Meanwhile, the Alcúdia City Council has responded on several occasions denying these accusations. It asserted that the route was technically agreed upon with REE (Red Eléctrica de España), the Balearic Government, the Council of Mallorca, neighborhood representatives, and the local administration, and that no information was deliberately concealed. The City Council even filed a complaint with the Civil Guard regarding what it considers unfounded accusations against its integrity. This confrontation highlights that, despite announcements of a "broad and negotiated" agreement, a significant discrepancy persists between institutions and neighborhood groups regarding what has been published, what has been processed, and what information is actually accessible. Criticism from several fronts

ANACA not only questions the City Council's transparency, but also the territorial coherence of the chosen option, which they consider technically obsolete and socially illegitimate, especially after changes in local energy and territorial conditions, such as the planned closure of the Murterar thermal power plant and the new public uses of municipal land that are due. Added to this are other criticisms from the residents' group, such as the potential incompatibility between the cable route and municipal infrastructure projects, such as the Bonaire and Mal Pas sewage systems, something that, according to ANACA, was ignored in the joint planning.

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The ANACA platform – New Agreement for the Alcúdia Cable – denounced this Wednesday that the route planned by REDEIA for the PENBAL-2 electrical interconnection project has been left "without technical foundation, without territorial coherence, and without social legitimacy." The organization demands a reconsideration of the alternative that avoids Sa Ferradura and argues that the "10-Bis" option, which would enter through the Bay of Alcúdia, is now "the only viable one." According to the platform, the energy and territorial situation of the municipality has changed, while the project "has remained anchored in obsolete arguments." One of the main ones, they claim, is the Murterar thermal power plant, which is expected to close permanently in 2026. For years, this complex had been used as a reason to discard the corridor entering through Alcúdia. "If the power plant no longer exists, neither does the technical limitation," argues ANACA, which asserts that this alternative has never been studied in depth. The organization also accuses the Government and the City Council of "opacity" for not providing technical reports on the viability of the power plant's cooling pipes, which could serve—according to the platform—as a corridor for the new submarine cable. Furthermore, we criticize the fact that, while potential geological risks such as paleochannels have been cited, "REDEIA itself installs more complex cables in much more demanding areas, such as the Bay of Biscay." Territorial changes and new affected parties

ANACA believes the selected land route has not been updated to reflect the recent municipal purchase of the Poble Nou/Gatamoix property, unanimously approved by the City Council and designated for environmental, educational, and cultural uses. The planned route passes very close to this public space and, according to the platform, also affects other facilities such as the Victoria campsite, the municipal sports center, frequently used paths, and homes. The platform asserts that the supposed consensus announced by the City Council "never existed" and that it only considered a small group of residents affected by a previous route. According to ANACA, numerous residents of areas such as Bonaire, Maristany, and the Camí de la Montaña "were not informed and are now the ones most affected." Posidonia seagrass, another point of contention

Another central element of the debate is the state of the Posidonia seagrass meadows. ANACA asserts that the environmental project has insufficiently compared the two bays and criticizes the fact that the announced municipal study to analyze the Alcúdia meadows "was never carried out." Therefore, the platform has commissioned a supplementary review of the maps and underwater images. According to their interpretation of this data, the Pollença meadows are "more continuous and dense," while in Alcúdia there are extensive sandy areas that would allow for less invasive techniques. Overall, they maintain that "it is not true that the Alcúdia option is more damaging." Criticisms of the environmental project

The organization also points out deficiencies in the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which—according to the platform—does not adequately compare the alternatives and is based on "outdated" premises, such as the activity of the Murterar power plant. They remind us that European regulations require demonstrating that no less harmful alternatives exist before authorizing impacts on the Natura 2000 network. Among the areas potentially affected by the current route, ANACA cites the CEIP S'Hort des Fasser school, the municipal sports center, the Pollentia protected area, and the Pollentia protected ecosystem. Final claim

In conclusion, ANACA states that "all excuses have fallen apart" and that the route through Sa Ferradura "is no longer justifiable." The platform argues that alternative 10-Bis, through the Bay of Alcúdia, is "technically viable, environmentally less impactful, and socially more just." REDEIA and the relevant institutions have not commented on ANACA's statements in this press release, although the project remains in the environmental impact assessment phase.

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Red Eléctrica has denied that the project for the second electrical link between the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, known as Penbal 2, is based on "obsolete cartography," as denounced by the Association for a New Agreement for the Alcudia Cable (ANACA). The company maintains that the studies on the seabed and route alternatives were carried out using its own updated data, the result of specific marine surveys conducted between 2020 and 2021. According to the company, responsible for energy transmission within the Redeia group, the project and its environmental impact study will allow for the definition of a new land-based route. Red Eléctrica states that it will respond promptly and appropriately to all objections submitted and that it will implement the final project authorized by the relevant authorities.

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The Alcudia City Council has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard following the accusations spread by the Anaca platform that has questioned the transparency of the project due to "suspicious coincidences" that have accompanied successive changes in the route of the high-voltage cable in Alcudia (the Penbal 2 project). The City Council points out that these statements "are completely false and lack any foundation, and constitute a direct attack on the honor and image of the municipal corporation."

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The Association for a New Agreement for the Alcúdia Cable (ANACA) has questioned the transparency of the PENBAL 2 project, promoted by Red Eléctrica de España (REE), and warns of the "suspicious coincidences" that have accompanied successive changes in the route of the high-voltage cable in Alcúdia.

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The final land route of the second electricity link between the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula will reduce its passage through residential areas by 67% thanks to the development of roads and public roads. The panel formed by the Government, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the Consell de Mallorca, the Alcúdia City Council, Red Eléctrica, and the platform of Alcúdia Residents Affected by the Cable (VAAC) reached a unanimous agreement on the route this Thursday.

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