Arico Residents Oppose Port of Granadilla Expansion Plans

Plans to expand port infrastructure in southern Tenerife have sparked a new territorial dispute in Arico. The Port Authority is considering extending the Granadilla port into the neighboring municipality of Arico, designating nearly one million square meters for industrial and energy projects. This proposal has met with strong opposition from the political group Arico Somos Todos (AST).

The main concern is the project's proximity to the residential area of Las Maretas. Residents are particularly worried about plans for a floating regasification plant and liquefied natural gas storage tanks, which they believe threaten their safety and health. This frustration is compounded by a long-standing feeling that Arico already carries an unfair share of the island's industrial burden—hosting the Tenerife Environmental Complex and numerous renewable energy parks—without receiving adequate socioeconomic benefits in return.

AST has criticized the project’s lack of transparency, arguing that it ignores the need for public participation. In response, the group is demanding that Port Authority president Pedro Suárez explain the scope of the planned expropriations. AST also intends to introduce a municipal motion to protect the coastline from excessive industrial development and plans to coordinate technical objections during the upcoming public consultation period.

This conflict highlights the ongoing tension between strategic infrastructure development and local land use. Critics argue that by labeling the project the "port of Granadilla," authorities have sidelined the direct impact on Arico’s residents. The municipality is now calling for rigorous environmental impact studies and is mobilizing the community to oppose an expansion they fear will permanently damage their coastline and quality of life.