SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Jan. 28 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the CEO of Cepsa, Maarten Wetselaar, announced this Friday that the dismantling works at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife refinery will begin in March.
The first phase, which includes the dismantling of non-operational units and the decontamination of the soil, will last until 2025 and from then on the second phase will begin, which includes the transfer of equipment in production to the port of Granadilla.
Finally, and through the ‘Santa Cruz Verde 2030’ plan, the urban regeneration of a space that occupies some 500,000 square meters will begin, as the union of the downtown area of the city and the neighborhood of El Toscal.
Torres has commented that the Executive gives the green light, through the Ministry of Ecological Transition, at the beginning of the works, which will be fully paid for by the company, stressing that this project is “strategic” for the energy transition of the Canary Islands and the regeneration of urban spaces.
The president has recognized that “it has not been easy to get here” but he understands that in March the “countdown” begins for an action that falls squarely within the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of the Canarian Government. “It would be ideal for everything to be dismantled by 2030,” he pointed out.
In addition, he has clarified that in this first phase the powers lie with the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo, and the latter remains in the hands of the City Council, but he is convinced that all the administrations will work “hand in hand”.
CEPSA: COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE OF THE ISLAND
Wetselaar defended Cepsa’s “essential role” in the economic and social history of Tenerife and its “commitment” to the future, positioning itself as a benchmark in energy transition and developing the ‘Santa Cruz Verde 2030’ plan, which is a “great example ” to create “shared value” together with the institutions.
Along these lines, he has stressed that the relocation of the refinery facilities will be done “progressively” and that the company is working on a “comprehensive ecological transition” to generate “clean, safe and affordable” energy. “We are making a profound transformation to meet the climate challenge,” she said.
