Construction of Pocitos Wind Farm Requires Land Expropriation
The construction of the Pocitos Wind Farm necessitates the expropriation of 47 properties in Granadilla de Abona and Arico. Among these, 20 are currently owned by the Tenerife Cabildo. This information is confirmed in the publication of the Official State Bulletin (BOE) regarding the call for the lifting of prior acts for the occupation of the land affected by the park’s execution. This procedure, linked to the declaration of public utility, marks the beginning of the expropriation process needed to acquire the required land for the installation.
Location and Installation Overview
Promoted by the company Sistemas Energéticos Ladera Negra SAU, the facility will be located between the municipalities of Arico and Granadilla de Abona, in an area known as Los Pocitos, situated in the southeast of the island and close to the TF-1 motorway. It is bordered to the southeast by the Barranco del Río and to the northwest by the Environmental Complex, extending to an area named El Andén. The site was selected due to its favourable wind conditions and its integration within the designated areas for the development of renewable energies in Tenerife.
Six Wind Turbines and Over 20 MW of Power
The project includes the installation of six Gamesa G-132 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.4 megawatts (MW), allowing for a total capacity of 20.79 MW. The turbines will stand at a height of 84 metres and have a diameter of 132 metres, placing them among the high-performance equipment currently used in land-based wind farms.
In addition to the turbines, the park will feature a subterranean medium-voltage network to connect the various machines, as well as the necessary infrastructure to evacuate the produced energy to the island’s electrical grid via the Abona substation. The construction budget exceeds 18 million euros, reflecting the scale of an investment aimed at boosting renewable production on the island.
Project Progress and Land Occupation
Thus, Pocitos continues to advance in its administrative journey. Once completed, the Pocitos wind farm will become part of the renewable facilities planned to enhance wind energy production in Tenerife and contribute to the energy transition objectives set by both the Canary Islands and the European Union.
Following the acquisition of administrative authorisation and the declaration of public utility by the General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, the project, announced in 2022, is currently undergoing the land occupation procedure and expropriation of affected parcels. Complementary actions have also been developed for the undergrounding of existing electrical infrastructure to ensure compatibility of the new installation with the current grid.
The commissioning of the Pocitos wind farm will mark another step in the decarbonisation strategy for Tenerife, increasing the share of renewable energies in the island’s electrical system while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. In an island particularly exposed to the energy challenges arising from its isolated territory, projects like this represent a key component in progressing towards a more sustainable and efficient energy model, aligned with European and Canary Islands climate targets, as stated by the Canary Islands Government when granting the administrative authorisation.
