Environmental activists in southern Spain are demanding that the government stop the construction of a power cable under the Strait of Gibraltar

Environmentalists have appealed to the Spanish government to stop the underwater power connection between the peninsula and Ceuta.

Environmental activists from the organization Ecologistas en Accion Verdemar believe that the route from Puente Mayorga to the Strait of Gibraltar will have a huge impact on the environment.

The project will supply electricity from thermal power plants in the Campo de Gibraltar that use fossil fuels.

In a statement, the group warned that Puente Mayorga residents would live “just a few meters” from the planned substation, which would supply Ceuta with 1,600 megawatts of electricity.

There is already a petrochemical plant in the region that processes 14 million tons of crude oil.

They say this will lead to a “further slaughter” of residents and an even greater impact of existing wind and photovoltaic projects on the region’s flora and fauna.

“These projects are being carried out in agricultural areas and bird habitats without the appropriate permits,” said Verdemar.

“It is impossible to properly assess the environmental impact of a plant without taking into account the other projects in the region,” they continued.

“Infrastructure like this will cause the Campo de Gibraltar to collapse even further.”

They claim that three wind turbines located in the Mar de Alboran could supply Cueta with electricity.

According to the energy company Red Electrica, the amount of energy generated and consumed in Ceuta in 2022 was 195,399 MWh, of which 99.8% came from diesel generators.