Tenerife Launches Strategic Task Force to Fast-Track Major Infrastructure Projects

Tenerife’s long-standing struggle with bureaucratic delays in infrastructure development is finally seeing a shift, thanks to the Island Directorate for Strategic Projects (DIPE). This specialized team within the Cabildo is working to unblock seven major initiatives, balancing legal requirements with the urgent need to modernize the island’s economy and social services.

Led by Alicia Leirachá, the DIPE brings together legal experts, architects, and advisors to streamline how the government classifies and manages strategic projects. By acting as a central hub across different departments, the team uses the "Island Interest Project" (PII) mechanism—introduced by the 2017 Canary Islands Land Law—to fast-track files that were previously stuck in administrative red tape.

The office’s top priority is the Granadilla industrial hub. The DIPE has already reached a milestone by approving a PII that combines urban planning and execution into one process, unlocking 275,000 square meters for energy infrastructure. They are also planning an adjacent 1.1-million-square-meter sector and exploring the expansion of the Free Trade Zone. These efforts are vital to the "Santa Cruz Green 2030" project, as moving fuel depots from the capital to the south is a necessary step toward transforming the former refinery lands into a new urban area.

Beyond industrial projects, the DIPE is focused on coastal improvements and climate resilience. In Puerto de la Cruz, the team is prioritizing waterfront and pier regeneration over large-scale construction. Meanwhile, in Las Galletas, Arona, they are working to reduce flood risks by redesigning the coastal avenue and restoring local ecosystems.

The directorate’s agenda also addresses animal welfare and the island’s growing creative sector. This includes building the "Tierra Azul" animal center in Presas del Campo, which will house over a thousand animals to address the shortage of facilities in the metropolitan area. The DIPE is also supporting the "Film City" project in Adeje, a major private investment designed to cement Tenerife’s status as an international filming hub—a sector that created over 4,000 skilled jobs in 2025. Finally, the team is working to renovate the Island Slaughterhouse in Guamasa to meet European standards, ensuring the long-term viability of the local agricultural sector.