Swedish Society for Nature Conservation critical of solar park: "We have a unique chance"

The County Administrative Board of Skåne has recently decided that Tursköpsskogen will become a nature reserve.

In exchange, the landowner receives SEK 9 million, which is to correspond to the reduced value of the land as the owner can no longer use it.

The agreement is for the time being and protects the forest from exploitation, but the area between Tursköpsskogen and the nearby Svedberga hill is not protected.

Want to build solar park

European Energy wants to build a photovoltaic plant there, and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is concerned.

- We are absolutely positive about solar cells, but it is a tricky trade-off.

We have a unique chance to tie the areas together when both Tursköpsskogen and Svedberga hill are protected.

Now we have the opportunity to start building a functioning green infrastructure for our plant and animal life, says Ditte Hallengren from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

She believes that there should be other places that would be better for solar cells.

- There are so many other areas that are more suitable for solar cells, we know.

For example, all asphalt parking lots and large flat roofs in the Väla industrial area, she says.

The County Administrative Board shall assess

Right now, the County Administrative Board of Skåne is looking into the matter to make an assessment of whether the location is suitable.

- The County Administrative Board has asked applicants for an environmental impact assessment for the project.

In this case, we have looked at the fact that it is partly a large area and partly that it should be fenced in, which can have an impact on wildlife in the area.

Then it can also have an impact on other wildlife and biotope protected areas, says Charlotte Jönsson, nature conservation officer at the County Administrative Board of Skåne.

Ted Bergdahl, communications manager for European Energy in Sweden, tells SVT Nyheter that they are happy to have a dialogue with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation because there seem to have been some misunderstandings about the project.

In the video, you hear the company's reasoning about why the site is suitable for solar cell construction.