Just over two months ago, the new president of Endesa, Gianni Vittorio Armani, met with the president of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, at an undisclosed location. This occurred in the absence of Pablo Casado, who was retiring and had previously served as the Italian company's representative in the islands. Based on the accreditation Armani was wearing, it appears to have been the Canary Islands Parliament. The meeting was revealed through the social media accounts of the Regional Ministry of Ecological Transition. Neither Endesa nor the regional government has disclosed the content of the meeting.
But this Thursday, something came to light. Days after that meeting, on July 22, 2026, Endesa requested the modification of the descriptive text of the integrated environmental authorization for the Juan Grande power plant, and the General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Government of the Canary Islands has initiated the process and introduced technical modifications to the operational control requirements of the Barranco de Tirajana Thermal Power Plant, owned by Unión Eléctrica de Canarias Generación, SAU. The resolution addresses the request made by the energy company to adapt the continuous monitoring requirements associated with the gas turbines identified from group TG3 to TG6 (sources 5 to 12).
The amendment eliminates the requirement for continuous monitoring of auxiliary parameters related to wet oxygen content, temperature, and pressure at the aforementioned sources. This change is based on the technical exemption from continuous monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter in these turbines, pollutants for whose standardization these auxiliary variables were originally used.
The industrial operator remains obligated to continuously monitor nitrogen oxides (expressed as NO2) in the aforementioned gas turbines. Since the analytical system used operates on a dry basis, Standard UNE-EN 14181:2015 stipulates that the standardization of these levels requires only the continuous determination of the actual percentage of oxygen on a dry basis, thus invalidating the technical necessity of simultaneously recording humidity, temperature, and pressure at these specific emission points.
The consolidating resolution establishes a structured periodic regime for the control of atmospheric emissions from the large combustion facilities of the Los Llanos de Juan Grande industrial complex. Technical inspections mandate quarterly monitoring of oxygen content, flow rate, temperature, pressure, and water vapor in turbines TG1 to TG6 (sources 3 to 12), complemented by an annual monitoring test (EAS) coinciding with the review of the automatic measurement systems (SAM).
In parallel, the requirement for continuous measurement of gas flow and essential auxiliary parameters for standardization remains in place at the plant's other combustion areas. The regulatory framework also ratifies the monitoring frequencies for specific parameters, mandating continuous measurement of ammonia (NH3), sulfur dioxide (SO2)—with authorized periodic alternatives depending on the fuel type—particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, in addition to annual inspections for heavy metals, metalloids, and sulfur trioxide (SO3).
In the area of water management, the industrial infrastructure maintains automated monitoring of flow rate, temperature, and pH in discharge control chamber 1, which handles wastewater generated during combustion gas treatment. This monitoring extends directly to the outlets of the aeration pond and the final liquid effluent treatment plant of the power plant.
