The Canaries are building emergency power plants due to the energy crisis
The government of the Canary Islands has approved the expedited construction of two emergency power plants in Tenerife to prevent power outages following the declaration of an energy emergency.
On Friday, the government of the Canary Islands gave the green light to changes in plans to quickly build two emergency power plants on the island of Tenerife. This is necessary to protect the archipelago from power outages, due to the declaration of a state of emergency in the energy sector in the Canary Islands on October 2, 2023.
These projects are expected to quickly pass all necessary permits. Companies Disa and Sampol are expected to install these stations in the coming weeks. They will be located in industrial areas and will only operate when there is a threat of power outages.
These stations will be small and mobile, with a capacity of 14.8 and 9 MW, respectively. They will be located in the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Granadilla. According to the government, this is exactly what is needed for such cases.
The government is doing everything possible to quickly create a backup power supply system. This will help avoid power outages in the event of problems in the power system.
In total, it is planned to install 10 such emergency stations in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura. They will help cover the shortage of electricity and quickly respond to possible outages.
This decision complements other measures that have been taken since the beginning of the emergency. This includes the construction of similar stations on other islands, the improvement of power grids, support for energy storage, and the planning of new renewable energy facilities. The goal is to make the energy system of the Canary Islands more reliable and sustainable.
For example, the La Campana station will appear in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It will consist of five generators with a capacity of 1.8 MW each, with a total capacity of 9 MW. The equipment will be placed in special containers with sound insulation. There will also be transformer substations that will increase the voltage to 20 kV.
This project is temporary and can be quickly installed and dismantled. Sampol is investing 5.5 million euros in it. The electricity from the station will be transmitted underground, along a line of about 200 meters, to the El Chorrillo substation.
In the municipality of Granadilla, the Los Abrigos station will be built. There will be eight generators with a capacity of 1.8 MW each, with a total capacity of 14.8 MW. The equipment will also be placed in containers with sound insulation, and the voltage will be increased to 66 kV.
DISA will invest 25.1 million euros in this project. The electricity will be transmitted underground, along a line of about 300 meters, to the Granadilla substation.
In both cases, the generators will comply with all environmental regulations, including having an emission control system.
Both stations are located in industrial areas. They complement other measures already being taken on various islands and are part of the Canary Islands government's plan to overcome the energy crisis.
These two projects are just part of the 10 emergency stations planned to be installed in the Canary Islands. They will be located in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura to ensure a reliable power supply.
This will help cover 90% of the electricity shortage reported by the system operator (Red Ecléctica). According to him, there is a shortage of 268 MW of capacity.
In addition to these stations, other measures are being taken. For example, power grids are being improved (including the connection between Tenerife and La Gomera), energy storage projects are being supported (such as Salto de Chira), and new renewable energy facilities are being planned. All this is being done to ensure that the Canary Islands switch to clean energy.