Gradually, the deadlines are being met for Santa Cruz de Tenerife to reclaim the land that once housed the most dominant industry ever established in the municipality, being a source of jobs and prosperity for its residents for many decades.
However, the Refinery which was once situated on the outskirts of the Tenerife capital by the Spanish Petroleum Company, SA (Cepsa), has now been inevitably engulfed by a city constrained from a territorial perspective, only able to expand towards the southeast. Technological advancements and pollution challenges have led to the closure of this hydrocarbon treatment plant, the first of its kind in Spain.
As DIARIO DE AVISOS has diligently reported, Cepsa has applied for three licenses (granted by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council) to dismantle the complex units of the Chicharrera Refinery.
The first license involves removing the Merox unit (a process to eliminate mercaptans from refined products like kerosene and aviation fuel) and the cooling tower.
The second license includes dismantling the iconic crude oil tanks 508, 509, and 510, visible to all entering or leaving the capital.
The third, currently in progress, aims to dismantle the visbreaker units, Hydrodesulfurization 1, Cotesa, Central Térmica, and the demineralization plant.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, stated to this newspaper, “The Refinery’s dismantling and decontamination continue. The process is intricate and slow, but the progress maintains the goal of achieving a sustainable city by 2030, a new vision for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.”
Historical Background
On September 26, 1929, Cepsa was established, initially holding concessions in Venezuela and planning the creation of its “Tenerife” Refinery to support these and future concessions just a year later. The chosen location was far from the urban centre of Santa Cruz in the 1930s, accessible through paths flanked by existing banana plantations where Avenida de los Catholic Monarchs or part of La Salle now stand.
The opening of the Refinery marked a significant milestone for Santa Cruz society, being the most prominent industry established in the Canary Islands up to that time. It is estimated that at its peak, around 1,700 families benefitted from the jobs generated directly by Cepsa employees, as well as the businesses that emerged on the island related to refining products. In addition, the food and textile commissaries that served Refinery workers, as well as investments in neighbourhoods like Buenos Aires during a time when shanty towns were prevalent in the centers of Los Llanos and El Cabo, brought further advantages.
