About the LIFE REALS Project

LIFE REALS project's mission is to break down barriers related to site selection and spatial planning of renewable energy investments on artificial land surfaces.

Placing renewable energy projects on artificial land surfaces reduces the burden on natural habitats, mitigates land-use conflicts, and effectively utilizes already transformed areas, thereby supporting the EU's climate and biodiversity goals.

Currently, acceleration efforts primarily focus on certain processes of the licensing procedures, while the obstacles of site selection and spatial planning are pushed to the background. These types of challenges are especially strong on artificial areas (including brownfields and degraded lands), where licensing is often more complicated and costly than greenfield investments.

The LIFE REALS project offers a solution to these problems: it aims to reduce the barriers of licensing procedures for solar and wind power plants built on artificial land surfaces.

Until 2028, the project will help authorities in five countries—Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, and Ukraine—to build their capacity, provide useful tools to simplify licensing. The results of the project will also be shared with at least seven other EU member states.

Solar panels and wind turbines at a remediated landfill area in Farmsum, Netherlands — Remediated landfill area (11.7 MWp) – Farmsum, Netherlands. Photo: Greenbuddies

Project goal

By 2028, the project aims to build the knowledge and capacity of permit-granting authorities and related government bodies in 5 target countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Ukraine) to be able to overcome the administrative permitting barriers, market constraints and ensure social inclusion related to onshore wind and solar deployment on artificial land surfaces, with results extended beyond target countries in at least 7 EU Member States.

Main Activities

Developing new spatial planning methodologies tailored to local guidelines.
Involving stakeholders and authorities through workshops and the Knowledge Hub.
Creating comprehensive policy analyses and gathering spatial data.
Monitoring environmental impacts and technological investments.
Disseminating best practices and policy recommendations at an EU level.

Solar panels at a former quarry in Ploquin, France — Former quarry (5 MWp) – Ploquin, France. Photo: Greenbuddies

Expected results

A credible, integrated knowledge base will provide spatial data and policy analysis of permitting, market, and social-related barriers, best practices, and recommendations on wind and solar deployment on artificial land surfaces.
Public authorities in the target countries and at least in 7 other Member States will increase their knowledge and capacity by participating in national and European-level expert groups, training series, and an online knowledge hub.
Other relevant decision makers in the target countries and beyond will be better informed towards streamlining permitting and prioritising artificial lands in renewable investments.
Increased awareness of 1 million citizens for low-conflict energy transition.

Partners

The LIFE REALS project is run by an international consortium spanning across multiple EU member states, bringing together leading environmental organizations and technical experts.

View Partners

Quick Facts

Project Title: LIFE REALS – Renewable Energy on Artificial Surfaces
Project ID: LIFE24-CET-LIFE REALS (101216075)
Implementation Period: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2028
Total Budget: 1,862,706.30 EUR