The president of the Cabildo points out that the new infrastructure “allows us to take a step forward in the fight against climate change and get closer to the goal of total decarbonisation of the energy sector in the Canary Islands by 2040”
Corujo urged to “expedite the interconnection with Gran Canaria to facilitate the access of the eastern islands to the storage of renewable energies on the capital island”
Lanzarote takes another step forward in its strategy in favor of a more sustainable and efficient energy model and, at the same time, for savings on the electricity bill for the consumer after the launch today of the new energy interconnection with the island from Fuerteventura.
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, the President of Redeia, the group to which Red Eléctrica belongs, Beatriz Corredor, the Minister for Ecological Transition, the Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning, José Antonio Valbuena, the Commissioner for the Promotion of Sustainable Energy in Island Systems, Marc Pons and the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, attended the inauguration ceremony of the new interconnection between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura at 132 kV that took place this morning at the Playa Blanca substation .
The new cable notably improves the security and quality of supply for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and facilitates their progress in the energy transition. Also present at the event were the Mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, and the Councilor for Works and Services, Luis Alba.
The newly launched interconnection reduces dependence on fossil fuels and, therefore, CO2 emissions on both islands. “It is an infrastructure that guarantees a more robust, efficient and sustainable energy system for the island and that, at the same time, allows us to take a fundamental step in the fight against climate change and get closer to the goal of total decarbonization of the island’s energy sector. Canary Islands in the year 2040” pointed out María Dolores Corujo.
The president of the Cabildo thanked “the interest, collaboration and harmony” shown by the entities participating in the project “to correct the lack of diligence of previous corporations and correct the visual impact caused by the initially planned air route to the Punta power plant Great”.
In her speech, the president encouraged the entities to “continue working to speed up the process of electrical interconnection with Gran Canaria and thus facilitate the access of the eastern islands to renewable energy storage on the capital island and achieve, as soon as possible, a decarbonised Canary Islands”.
A responsible layout with society and the environment
Red Eléctrica has invested 36 million euros in this link, with a layout that uses the latest techniques in terms of environmental protection and integration into the environment. Thus, the infrastructure is made up of 14.5 km of underwater route, with a maximum depth of 80 metres, and two underground land routes of 1.8 km in Lanzarote and 645 meters in Fuerteventura.
To trace its marine route, exhaustive prospecting, cartography and bathymetric mapping work has been carried out, which has allowed an in-depth knowledge of both the seabed and other highly relevant aspects such as currents, the quality of water and sediments and the biological state of the fauna and flora communities present.
In addition, the landing of the cable at both ends has been carried out using the directed drilling technique, with the aim of protecting the cables near the coast, while minimizing the effects on the beaches and the coastal strip.
The new interconnection reinforces the other existing one, commissioned in 2005, and which transports electricity at 66 kV in alternating current.
Thanks to the new link and the redundancy provided by this new interconnection, the robustness of the electrical system on both islands is reinforced and its possibilities and maintenance conditions are improved, also eliminating generation restrictions.
