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5 clusters · 12 sources · 46 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: TECHNOLOGY · BUSINESS

Canary Islands power interconnection, storage & grid upgrade

Entities: Tenerife · Casimiro Curbelo · La Gomera · El Hierro · Canary Islands

Overview

The 36 km, 66 kV double‑circuit submarine cable linking Tenerife and La Gomera entered service on 1 July 2026, unifying the islands’ grids and enabling bidirectional power flow. The link, funded partly by NextGeneration EU and costing €177.5 million, raised network availability to over 98 % and helped lift renewable capacity from about 23 % in 2021 to nearly 30 % by 2025, with renewables meeting roughly one‑fifth of demand (≈21 %).

In 2025 the archipelago recorded its highest renewable generation, driven by a 14 % jump in solar photovoltaic output and a modest wind contribution (15.3 % of the renewable mix). Overall renewable generation rose by 1.03 % despite fossil fuels still supplying 79.2 % of total electricity. The new inter‑island link allowed La Gomera’s wind farms to meet the island’s entire demand on several days in July, injecting more than 9 MW into the grid and improving supply stability.

The €1 billion pumped‑hydro project at Güímar (200 MW, ~3 200 MWh storage) approved in July 2026 will operate by the mid‑2030s, complementing other storage concepts. A second firm‑power tender earmarks 707.5 MW for the Canary Islands to meet 2031 targets. Minister Mariano Hernández Zapata seeks to secure €100 million of Next Generation EU funding for renewables and plans an offshore‑wind tender before year‑end, advancing the archipelago’s decarbonisation, resilience and reduced fossil‑fuel reliance.

Timeline

  1. 7 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    Canary Islands renewable electricity share rises as solar output surges

    Canary Islands' renewable electricity hits a record in 2025, driven by a 14% solar boost; new inter‑island link lets La Gomera meet full demand with wind on several July days.

  2. 13 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Canary Islands strengthen power grid with new Tenerife‑La Gomera submarine link

    Red Eléctrica’s €1.8 bn upgrade of the Canary Islands grid includes a new €177.5 m Tenerife‑La Gomera submarine cable, boosting resilience, renewable integration and supply security.

  3. 24 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 6 sources
    Canary Islands push forward 1‑billion‑euro Güímar pumped‑hydro plant and wider power‑capacity programmes

    Spain backs a €1 bn Güímar pumped‑hydro plant in Tenerife and a €820 MW power‑capacity tender for the Canary Islands, while regional officials seek to extend €100 m EU funds and launch offshore‑wind tenders.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    La Gomera–Tenerife Electricity Interconnection Begins Operation

    La Gomera and Tenerife’s new €145 million submarine electricity link, delivering 50 MW, ends La Gomera’s isolation and boosts grid security and renewable integration.

  5. about 2 months ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Spain authorises unified electricity grid for Tenerife and La Gomera

    Spain's government has approved a €100 million submarine cable linking Tenerife and La Gomera, creating a single electricity grid on 1 July to boost efficiency, lower costs and improve supply security.

Sources

africanewswire.net · akasyam.com · cronicadecantabria.com · diariodeavisos.elespanol.com · elchaplon.com · eltambor.es · gomeranoticias.com · smartgridsinfo.es · startup.mandiner.hu · tenerifeweekly.com · web.eldia.es · y-k-park.jp