Proposed Tenerife Offshore Wind Project Sparks Local Backlash
A proposed 40-million-euro offshore wind project off the coast of Arico, Tenerife, has sparked intense local opposition and formal legal challenges over concerns regarding its environmental impact, visual scale, and lack of transparency.
Plans for a new offshore wind project in the Canary Islands have reignited public debate over energy infrastructure. The project, led by Primavera Offshore Wind S.L.—a subsidiary of EnerOcean—proposes a 40-million-euro wind platform off the coast of Arico, Tenerife. The proposal was officially published on February 27, 2026, and is currently open for public review.
The controversy centers on the scale and location of the installation. The project features a semi-submersible platform with two wind turbines standing 184 meters tall—roughly the height of a 50-story building. Located just 346 meters from the Granadilla port breakwater, the structure has faced fierce opposition from local residents, particularly the Las Ceras association in Las Eras. Critics argue that while the project is linked to the port of Granadilla, the visual and environmental impact will fall squarely on Arico, a municipality that already hosts onshore wind farms covering 22% of its land.
The municipal political group Arico Somos Todos (AST) has formally challenged the project, submitting a 200-page report detailing flaws in the Environmental Impact Study. Their objections highlight a lack of cumulative impact assessments, inadequate analysis of the visual landscape, and insufficient protections for marine life, including sea turtles, sharks, and cetaceans. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of local artisanal fishing and maritime traffic in the area.
Beyond the technical issues, the project has exposed a breakdown in communication. AST councilor José Luis Hervella claims that the administrative process lacked transparency, leaving many local groups unaware of the project until the public comment period began on March 4. This has sparked a wave of local activism in coastal towns like Tajao, Abades, El Porís de Abona, and La Caleta, where residents are organizing to voice their opposition.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between the Canary Islands' decarbonization goals and the realities of land-use planning. Under environmental law, such projects must balance technical requirements with genuine public participation and a thorough assessment of environmental risks. With the local government’s position still unclear, the project has become a flashpoint for the challenges of expanding offshore wind energy in sensitive, inhabited coastal areas.