Residents of Santa Maria file objections against a lithium battery plant on rural land

The Friends of the Coanegra Valley Association has filed objections against the proposed second lithium-ion battery energy storage plant on a rural plot in Santa Maria del Camí. The group rejects the initiative and questions whether it can be processed as a project of strategic industrial interest. The protest comes after the Regional Ministry of Business, Self-Employment, and Energy opened the public consultation period for the application for this designation and the authorization of the project, called Bess Santa Maria. The association believes the facility lacks the public interest that would justify this administrative treatment. According to the association, it is a "private and speculative activity with the sole purpose of profit," lacking a production process, stable job creation, and integration within the local energy plan. For this reason, they argue that it does not meet the requirements to be considered of strategic interest. The group also maintains that the project cannot be located on rural land. They point out that legislation only exceptionally permits this type of installation for industrial facilities linked to renewable energy production, a category in which, according to their interpretation, the planned plant does not fit. Furthermore, they believe the initiative implies an inappropriate use of common rural land, which—they emphasize—should be designated for agricultural, livestock, or forestry activities. In this regard, they assert that the installation is incompatible with the urban planning classification of the area and that, in any case, it would require a Declaration of General Interest and the mandatory territorial report from the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca). The organization also denounces that the project encroaches on the municipal powers of the Santa Maria del Camí City Council regarding urban planning. They indicate that the initiative lacks any favorable report and has not been validated by the municipal governing board or the mayor. According to the association, the proposal contradicts the municipality's political and urban planning guidelines and violates the principle of local autonomy, in addition to failing to respect the criteria for citizen participation and transparency in the selection of locations for energy infrastructure. In this regard, they denounce the fact that the plant's location has not been consulted or negotiated with neighborhood associations or local institutional representatives. Environmental and safety risks

Among the arguments presented in their objections, the group also warns of the potential environmental and safety risks associated with this type of facility. They explain that the potential leaks of toxic gases or liquids in the event of a thermal failure, which could affect vegetation, soil, and aquifers, have not been adequately assessed. The association believes the project violates the precautionary principle, as it would be located in an area with no prior industrial use, which, in their opinion, would entail a significant transformation of the environment. They also emphasize that the proposed plot has high ecological value and forms part of the agricultural and landscape mosaic located between the municipalities of Consell and Santa Maria del Camí. Finally, the group warns that lithium-ion batteries carry potential risks, such as explosions, difficult-to-extinguish fires resulting from thermal runaways, the emission of toxic gases harmful to human and animal health, and possible chemical contamination of waterways.