Favorable Environmental Report for Electric Line in Caldes de Malavella: What Developers and Operators Must Comply With

Key data

The electric railway infrastructure project in Caldes de Malavella has environmental approval, but with conditions that the developer must comply with mandatorily. The General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment has issued, through a resolution of April 9, 2026, a conditional favorable environmental impact report for the construction of a 25 kV underground line and its associated traction substation, connected from the Sils distribution substation to Caldes de Malavella.

The report is not a minor formality: it is binding on the developer and directly conditions the final authorization of the project. This means that any company or entity promoting the project that cannot demonstrate compliance with the established conditions will not be able to obtain permission to execute the work.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution establishes that the project can proceed toward final authorization provided that the developer complies with a set of specific environmental protection conditions. These conditions apply in both the construction phase and the operation phase of the infrastructure.

The required corrective measures are grouped into three areas:

• Soil protection: measures to prevent soil contamination and degradation during the installation works of the underground line and substation.
• Waste management: protocol for proper management of waste generated during the construction and operation of the infrastructure.
• Minimization of impacts on fauna and vegetation: specific actions to reduce the impact on the ecosystems surrounding Caldes de Malavella during all phases of the project.

The project is linked to electric railway traction infrastructure, which gives it strategic relevance for railway sector operators and for energy and infrastructure companies in Catalonia.

Economic and operational impact

The main impact of this report is not a direct economic sanction, but an enabling condition: without complying with the required corrective measures, the project cannot obtain final authorization and, therefore, cannot be executed. This has direct economic and operational consequences for developers:

• Project paralysis: non-compliance with environmental conditions blocks final authorization, which can result in delays in infrastructure execution and costs associated with those delays.
• Costs of implementing corrective measures: the developer must budget and implement soil protection, waste management and fauna and vegetation protection measures as part of the total project cost.
• Phase planning: conditions apply in both construction and operation, which requires integrating these measures into the work plan and operational protocols of the substation and line.
• Relevance for railway operators: the infrastructure is linked to railway electric traction, so any delay in final authorization directly impacts the timelines for putting the associated railway line into service.

Who does it affect?

• Developers of the project for the 25 kV underground line and traction substation in Caldes de Malavella: they are directly obligated by the binding report.
• Railway operators that depend on this electric traction infrastructure for the operation of their services in the affected corridor.
• Electrical infrastructure companies that participate in the construction, installation or maintenance of the line and substation in the province of Girona.
• Energy sector companies with activity in Catalonia that manage or depend on distribution infrastructure connected to the Sils substation.

Practical example

A railway infrastructure development company that has been awarded the construction of this 25 kV underground line between Sils and Caldes de Malavella must, before initiating any earthwork or equipment installation, demonstrate to the administration that its work plan incorporates the three corrective measures required by the environmental report:

1. A specific soil protection protocol during the opening of trenches for the underground line.
2. A construction waste management plan that complies with applicable regulations.
3. A work schedule that takes into account the periods of greatest sensitivity for fauna and vegetation in the Caldes de Malavella area, minimizing impact during those times.

If the company begins work without having integrated these measures into its executive project, it risks the administration not granting final authorization or suspending the work until compliance is demonstrated. This can result in contractual penalties for delay and additional project adaptation costs.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the complete environmental report: developers and companies linked to the project must fully read the resolution of April 9, 2026 to identify all specific conditions required, beyond the three main areas summarized publicly.
2. Integrate corrective measures into the executive project: soil protection, waste management and minimization of impact on fauna and vegetation must be documented in the project before requesting final authorization.
3. Plan the work schedule with environmental criteria: identify periods of greatest sensitivity in the natural environment of Caldes de Malavella to schedule the phases of greatest impact outside those time windows.
4. Designate an environmental monitoring officer: appoint internally or hire externally a technician to supervise compliance with the report conditions during the entire construction phase and in operation.
5. Coordinate with the Sils distribution substation: ensure that connection work from Sils to Caldes de Malavella also complies with the environmental conditions required in the complete project section.