Tenerife will become a leader in energy sovereignty in Canaries through geothermal energy, facilitated by a project initiated by the company Geothermal Energy of the Canaries, which includes the Technological Institute for Renewable Energies (ITER), the Volcanological Institute of the Canaries (Involcan), the Icelandic company Reykjavik Geothermal, and the Canarian DISA.
This initiative, set to enter its consolidation phase after autumn, has an investment of €100 million and includes the first surveys to detect natural heat at high temperatures in the island’s subsoil.
Resulting from public-private collaboration, this project represents one of the first steps towards achieving the decarbonisation goals set by the European Union for 2030. Additionally, it explores a primary renewable, clean, and inexhaustible energy source that aligns with a sustainable and environmentally respectful future. In this regard, the President of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, emphasises that this is an important milestone in achieving “energy sovereignty on the island of Tenerife.”
Geothermal energy has the potential to meet a significant portion of the heating and electricity demand in buildings and industries. Its production is continuous and independent of weather conditions, provides notable energy savings, has low visual and acoustic impact, and generates no harmful emissions.
In this context, Santiago Rull, Director of Energy at DISA, states that “this energy source makes perfect sense and will help us comply with the Canary Islands Climate Change Law.” He also emphasises that geothermal energy, in superficial terms, is “100 times more efficient” than traditional renewables and will transform Tenerife into the “nerve centre for geothermal energy in Spain.”
Meanwhile, Nemesio Pérez, Director of the Environment Area at ITER and Scientific Coordinator at Involcan, points out that this initiative exemplifies the commitment to advancing energy sovereignty and reducing the risk of power outages, which can cause “instability in the electrical system and significant harm to the public.” However, he reminds that the “main hurdle” for geothermal energy is the lack of a specific tariff to attract investment and develop new projects in this field.
In this respect, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has expressed its intention to replicate European models, where remuneration tariffs for geothermal projects in new areas vary between €200 and €300/MWh. This tariff would help reduce the current generation costs in the Canaries, with further improvements as the project scales.
Moving Towards the Future
The first geothermal investigations in Tenerife will take place in the south of the island, in Vilaflor, following an analysis of over 17,000 hectares that confirmed the existence of water and temperatures exceeding 150 ºC at more than 2,500 metres deep. This is a particularly promising finding, considering that geothermal energy is generated naturally through geological phenomena such as geysers, hot springs, or volcanoes, elements that characterise the archipelago.
The success of this research would provide the foundation for advancing towards energy self-sufficiency for the islands, as well as creating stable and qualified employment across various professional profiles, positively impacting the regional economy and the final prices of products.
Why Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy emerges as an alternative to fossil fuels, which are more polluting and have a greater environmental impact due to the infrastructure required for their exploitation.
It is a resource capable of harnessing the natural heat of the Earth with minimal territorial footprint. Although its installation requires a high initial investment, its added value justifies the cost.
Moreover, the volcanic nature of the Canaries and the presence of thermal resources position the archipelago as the area with the greatest geothermal potential of medium and high temperature in Spain, making the islands a key player in the race for the production of this renewable energy source.
