The modernization of established tourist destinations in the Canary Islands has moved beyond mere words of intent and is now a tangible deployment of technical infrastructure. The Impulsa Maspalomas program, part of the Tourism Sustainability Destination Plan (PSTD) for San Bartolomé de Tirajana, has completed its first tangible projects thanks to a capital injection from the European NextGenerationEU funds. This initiative aims to redefine the visitor's relationship with the urban environment through micro-engineering interventions designed to mitigate climate impact and accelerate the energy transition in the island's main economic engine.
The local firm PROICAN Estudio de Ingeniería has taken charge of drafting the projects and managing the construction of several key actions within this plan, working under the strategic coordination of the consultancy KNW. The institutional deployment has required precise coordination between different local and island administrations, a technical governance process led by specialists such as Carlos Jiménez García and Manuel Varela Rey to unify mobility and landscape criteria in high-density pedestrian and commercial areas of the southern municipality.
The core of the physical intervention focuses on mitigating the urban heat island effect in highly developed areas of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana coastline. The engineering team has designed a network of minimalist photovoltaic canopies that serve a triple function in the public space: creating shaded areas for pedestrian comfort, producing clean energy on-site, and integrating fast-charging points for electric vehicles connected directly to the solar collection structure.
The contract for the installation of these charging stations and shade structures was awarded to Electrimega (Veolia), whose technical team, led by Julio Hernández and Thais González, completed the installation under strict landscape integration criteria. These solutions aim to meet the growing demand for electric mobility from rental car fleets and service vehicles operating in the south of the island, while also aesthetically modernizing the street furniture in established tourist areas.
The infrastructure upgrade is not limited to surface-mounted photovoltaic generation. The sector plan includes a comprehensive technical analysis of the public lighting system along the Paseo Costa Canaria, the pedestrian thoroughfare that runs along the dunes and connects the main hotel complexes of Playa del Inglés and Meloneras. The study, prepared by PROICAN, lays the groundwork for a massive replacement of existing lights with smart, low-energy technology, aimed at reducing the municipality's carbon footprint and light pollution in an area adjacent to a protected nature reserve.
The operational success of these projects has ultimately depended on the support of the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council, the body that validates the alignment of these municipal projects within the island's energy self-sufficiency strategy. With these projects, Maspalomas seeks to reposition itself with mainland tour operators as a destination that not only sells sun and beaches, but also utilizes its own solar resources to enhance the smart living conditions of its public spaces.
