SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, July 31 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy, has opened an information file on the possible causes of the fire at the El Palmar Power Plant, in San Sebastián de La Gomera, which has led to zero energy which has affected a total of 15,313 customers.
This was announced by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who has called it “unjustifiable” and “unpresentable” that more than 10,000 homes continue without electricity due to zero energy, while at the same time demanding that the State Government and Endesa, the company electricity supplier on the island, an immediate solution to restore supply to the rest of those affected.
Clavijo stressed that this energy zero is causing “difficulties to make bread, to have a supply, to raise the water and for all those families who may have gone on vacation and have their purchases in the fridge and are going to have to throw it in the trash; we are talking about economic damage that neither the Gomerans nor the Canaries deserve,” he added.
The head of the Canarian Executive indicated that for a long time now it has been warning that the necessary investments are not being carried out to improve the electrical infrastructure and stressed that what happened in La Gomera is “another example of improvisation and the lack of management and commitment” that is causing “serious damage, even reputational, to La Gomera”.
Fernando Clavijo affirmed that the generator sets necessary to restore the supply “are not arriving with the speed and speed that are needed nor are they starting up”, and criticized that the supply company is talking about Thursday to be able to restore the entire service. For this reason, he warned that the Government is going to be “very forceful” regarding what this incident has caused and demands that an immediate response be given to the island.
LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES.
The Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, Mariano Hernández Zapata, has convened a meeting this Monday to seek alternatives and accelerate, as soon as possible, the replacement of the electricity supply in La Gomera.
Endesa, Red Eléctrica, Enercón, Ecoener and the Cabildo de La Gomera attended the meeting, putting on the table the possibility of using energy from wind turbines to be able to partially replace the damage suffered in the systems and facilities of the columbian island.
Hernández Zapata assured that it is a complex solution “but we are already working on it due to zero energy, which is not a novelty in the Canary Islands, although it is unacceptable that hours continue to pass and thousands of gomeros and visitors are suffering from a lack of supply electric”.
At the moment, and according to the latest data that the electric company Endesa has sent to the Ministry, work is being done on the partial restoration of the El Palmar Power Plant, so that it can enable the operation, under current conditions, of the 6 MW of power from groups 18 and 19. In parallel, the company plans to arrive in La Gomera of a 6MW ‘mini-central’ from the island of La Palma.
Up to 14 generator sets, of the total 28 mobilized to La Gomera, have already been connected and only 4,145 customers out of the 15,313 on the island have been able to recover the supply. The company will continue connecting more groups during the next few hours in coordination with the island and regional authorities.
SANCTIONING FILE.
On the other hand, the counselor explained that once the conclusions of the information file that has been opened on the possible causes of the fire at the El Palmar plant are known, “it will be time to assess whether or not to open a disciplinary file “to Endesa.
However, the counselor aligned himself with the president of the Cabildo de La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, who has already pointed out the lack of investment in the El Palmar Power Plant, “something that, unfortunately, also happens on other islands,” Hernández pointed out. Zapata, who added that beyond the possible responsibilities and causes of the incident, “we are focused on finding solutions so that the supply can be restored as soon as possible,” he insisted.
These solutions go through constant coordination between the energy companies with responsibilities in the wind farms, the Cabildo de La Gomera, the Ministry itself and the Government of Spain to which, through the Secretary of State for Energy. “We have already asked the Ministry of Defense to provide us with assistance with the generator sets they have,” said Hernández Zapata.
In addition, in the long term, the Canary Islands set its sights on the modification of Law 17/2013 of October 29. This regulation prevents local and regional institutions from being autonomous when it comes to replacing obsolete generator sets and changing infrastructures, turning the Government of the Canary Islands “into a mere spectator”, as stated by the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy.
In order to carry out these changes in the facilities, which in some cases are more than half a century old, it is necessary to have the approval of the Ministry. In this sense, the regional government requests the possibility of modifying this law and having the necessary autonomy to be able to supply users, ultimately, with essential electrical energy.
