Although natural gas emits less polluting gases when burned than other fossil fuels, its consumption poses serious environmental problems..
For environmentalists, The construction of this type of infrastructure would represent a step back towards the energy transition of the Canary Islands.. It requires the permanent cessation of fossil fuels in the archipelago by 2040 and the coverage of 100% of electricity demand through renewable energy in 2030.
The Canary Islands are still highly dependent on fossil fuels
Despite the enormous potential for renewable energy, The Canary Islands are still highly dependent on fossil fuelsthe main causes of climate change, which is already showing its worst face fires, damage and floodsamong others.
In 2024, only 21.2% of the Canary Islands’ electricity demand will be covered by renewable energy sourcesaccording to Red Eléctrica. It is also the fifth autonomous community from below in terms of climate ambition in Spain.
Projects like that of Teaching They correspond to a view that is now largely outdated and still views gas as a low-carbon and transition fuel. Numerous studies show that the climate benefit of this energy source over oil or coal is very little or none, depending on the origin of the gas..
Betting on so-called natural gas in the Canary Islands violates the Paris Agreement and the national and Canary Islands energy transition strategyin addition to condemning the archipelago to decades of emissions, pollution and more expensive and externally dependent energy.
Rejection of natural gas in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands currently have three gas projects in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura. The most advanced is the project of the company Totisa Holdings in Puerto de la Luzwhich aims to be a combination of a regasification plant, floating and onshore storage, a bunker system for ships and an installation with an electricity generation of 70 MW.
The main purpose of this infrastructure is burn gas to produce electrical energywhat casting would mean more polluting gases to the already damaged atmosphere of the harbor and the city center. So far they are four unfavorable messages to the project of the Directorate General of Public Health of the Canary Health Service, which emphasizes that it is wrong to think that the wind will send the pollutants to the sea, as the company claims.
This gas plant will be an attack on the health of the residents of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Cardiovascular and respiratory pathologies, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)will be especially worse during episodes of haze.
The voices against the project continue to grow. In November 2024, the Municipal Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria They jointly expressed their rejection.
Similarly, in December 2024, the Parliament of the Canary Islands expressed opposition to the project and asked the island government to complete the environmental impact assessment and act with the maximum guarantees in terms of health and environmental safety. The same body has also requested investments State Ports and the Ministry of Transport reaches 100% renewable fuels that will help us achieve the islands’ decarbonization goals.
The Canary Islands have it ‘easy’
The Canary Islands have enormous potential for solar, wind, geothermal energy and energy storage. The current competitive bidding process for new energy production facilities on the islands can only take place with renewable energy and storage.
We cannot even afford to take a step back in the energy transition. We must increase the ambition of the existing roadmaps towards a 100% renewable energy system, which is also cheaper and more independent.
The existing energy models and the example of the island The ironwho has an electrical system designed to run on 100% renewable energyshow that the Canary Islands, with determined investments and appropriate policies, can be an example to follow in the integration of renewable energies, efficiency improvements, energy saving measures and storage systems,” del Pozo added.
The environmental organization emphasizes that the Canary Islands are at a crucial moment to reject fossil fuels and avoid the worst scenarios of the climate crisis.
Therefore, these three requirements seem reasonable:
- Permanent termination of the project gas in the port of Palmas, as well as every other fossil power plant project in the archipelago. The incorrectly named ‘natural gas’ is not a green solution, neither to produce electrical energy nor as a fuel for ships. There are alternatives for both applications.
- Double the efforts and investments in the energy transition to achieve the permanent elimination of fossil fuels in the archipelago by 2040 and to cover 100% of the archipelago’s electricity needs through clean energy by 2030.
- The energy transition must have social criteria and protection of biodiversity. Renewable energy and storage projects should follow territorial planning, prioritizing decentralized energy from citizens and human areas close to consumption.