Green light for Androlykou quarry expansion, under strict conditions

Economy developmentsenvironmentnaturePaphosTop News Green light for Androlykou quarry expansion, under strict conditions Picture3 (1) Relevant News Green light for Androlykou quarry expansion, under strict conditions 10 August 2026 Polemidia enters new era with universities and major projects 10 August 2026 Christodoulides’ ‘DISYAKEL’ jibe enrages opposition ahead of 2028 10 August 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 10 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Environmental Authority has approved, under strict environmental conditions and restrictions, an application to expand quarry activity in the Drousia community, bordering the Androlykou quarry zone. The request, which concerns operation of a new quarry for extracting aggregate materials outside the existing quarry zone, borders the Natura 2000 protected area “Akamas Peninsula,” triggering strong reactions and scientific disputes within the ad-hoc committee reviewing the application. There are plans for a new quarry zone at Androlykou in the area, with the relevant environmental studies expected to be submitted for evaluation by the Mines and Quarries Department. The application was submitted by Gennadios Theologou & Sons (Concrete Works) Ltd and Poullas Tsadiotis Ltd, both of which already operate within the Androlykou quarry zone under their respective quarrying privileges and crushing units. The proposed project involves a new quarry outside the quarry zone, covering an area of 49,727 square metres. The aim is to extract 900,000 cubic metres of limestone, of which 720,000 cubic metres is recoverable material, using 315,000 kilograms of explosives, to meet the Paphos district’s aggregate material needs for a period of 2.5 to 3 years. The report also notes this corresponds to 1,512,000 tonnes of final product, for use either as backfill material or as material suitable for concrete production, mainly sand. According to the Environment Department’s Special Ecological Assessment Report, dated July 2026, the area lies 120 metres from the Akamas Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area. Assessors further found that, of the total area, 31% (18,968 square metres) already shows human-caused alteration, while the remaining 69% (30,759 square metres) is covered by natural vegetation and limestone formations, with part of it also under cultivation. The Environment Department concluded that the impacts would mainly be local and temporary. It assessed that the project is not expected to substantially increase existing disturbance to wildlife and habitats, only to extend it for 2.5 to 3 years, provided strict conditions are followed. The proposed project concerns exclusively the extraction of quarry materials, which will be transported for processing to the existing crushing units within the Androlykou quarry zone. Caves with bat colonies are located roughly 1.1 to 1.5 kilometres from the project area, on the north-northwest side of the existing quarry. The quarry under evaluation lies to the south-southeast, on the opposite side from the known bat locations. According to the results of an acoustic environment simulation submitted by the project’s consultant, the impacts from the proposed project’s operation are limited to a radius of around 500 metres. As a result, no substantial direct impact on the known bat locations is expected. Who agreed and who disagreed The ad-hoc committee, which met on February 10 to examine the Special Ecological Assessment study, appeared divided. The Game and Fauna Service raised no objection to the project going ahead, setting as a non-negotiable condition strict demarcation of the site, avoidance of debris dumping outside its boundaries, and submission of an annual compliance report with photographic documentation. However, opposition from environmental organisations was strong and unanimous. The Cyprus Federation of Environmental Organisations (OPOK) took a negative position, criticising the fact that 31% of the area has already been disturbed by unlicensed quarrying work. It also stressed the loss of thousands of trees and natural habitats that function as a buffer zone for Natura 2000. Terra Cypria expressed serious concern over the loss of protected habitats and rare flora, calling for approval to be rejected for the areas with natural vegetation. BirdLife Cyprus took a negative position, underlining the negative impacts on bird life, particularly on the protected European Roller (Coracias garrulus) and rare birds of prey, as well as what it described as a complete lack of adequate consideration of cumulative impacts. Rescue operation for the Ophrys kotschyi orchid One of the most sensitive points in the assessment concerns the presence of the priority species Ophrys kotschyi. The species is endemic to Cyprus, protected under EU Directive 92/43/EEC, and listed as vulnerable in Cyprus’s Red Data Book of Flora. Field surveys identified a total of 20 individual plants across three locations within the proposed quarry. To prevent destruction of the rare plant, the Environmental Authority imposed a special binding condition. The specific area where Ophrys kotschyi was found is to be immediately demarcated, with any intervention or disturbance strictly prohibited. During the plant’s flowering period, March to April, the Forestry Department will carry out an on-site survey to record and identify all individual plants. Specialised Forestry Department staff will then transplant the plants, together with their rhizomes and surrounding soil, to a suitable natural habitat within the protected Natura 2000 area. Environmental operating conditions Beyond protection of the orchid, the decision comes with a package of strict conditions: No excavation or blasting work will take place between March and June, to avoid affecting bird breeding. Roads and material stockpiles must be systematically dampened, and new low-noise drilling technology must be used. Gradual terracing and replanting with native species is mandatory during the works, along with submission of a comprehensive Restoration Plan in cooperation with the Forestry Department. Heavy vehicle movement must be confined to designated routes and must not take place at night. All necessary fire-prevention measures must be maintained, particularly during the summer months. 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