This Friday, March 28, the Third Vice President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, together with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calviño, will review the works of the emblematic Salto de Chira project, located in the south of Gran Canaria. The consortium comprised of Dragados (ACS), Cobra (Vinci), and Ossa (owned by Alantra) has entrusted the engineering group Sener with the development of the construction engineering for the Salto de Chira reversible hydroelectric pumping system, a strategic infrastructure project promoted by Red Eléctrica de España (REE) in Gran Canaria.
The event will also feature key figures such as Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia; Antonio Morales, president of the Gran Canaria Island Council; Mariano Hernández Zapata, Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy for the Canary Islands Government; and the mayors of Mogán and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Onalia Bueno and Marco Aurelio Pérez, respectively. The Salto de Chira project, developed by Red Eléctrica, represents a fundamental pillar for the Canary Islands' energy system. This reversible pumped storage plant, which seeks to optimize energy resource management, has financial support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Investment Bank.
The day will begin at the Salto de Chira Interpretation Center, where a tour will be given of key points of the project. Highlights include the Soria water intake and the tunnels leading to the hydroelectric plant cavern, showcasing the progress of this strategic infrastructure for the islands' energy transition. The hydroelectric facility, with a storage capacity of 200 MW, will represent 36% of the island's peak demand and will connect the Chira and Soria reservoirs, located in the south of Gran Canaria. This natural energy storage project will provide a capacity of 3,5 GWh, enough to guarantee the entire island's electricity supply for approximately seven hours, according to Sener.
This infrastructure will serve as a solution for managing surplus renewable energy, facilitating the integration of sources such as solar and wind into the island's electricity system. It will also strengthen the security of the electricity supply and advance Gran Canaria's energy transition. SENER, as the design manager, is working on the construction engineering of multiple elements of the project. These include access to key areas, underground tunnels, hydraulic connections between reservoirs, caverns for the generators and transformers, as well as hydromechanical and electromechanical installations. It will also develop advanced control systems and optimize the integration of the turbogenerators. The design of this infrastructure, promoted by Red Eléctrica, seeks to maximize the island's energy independence and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. This innovative approach includes the latest technological advances to ensure flexible and efficient performance.
