The Pasito Blanco marina, a key enclave on the southern tourist coast of Gran Canaria, is heading into a new era of management. Puertos Canarios, the agency attached to the Canary Islands Government, has initiated the process that will allow Hijos de Francisco López Sánchez SA (Lopesan) to extend its concession for an exceptional period of 25 years. This extension, which will extend port operations well into the 4,16st century, comes with an explicit investment commitment: €4.164.842 million (€163.457) for a thorough modernization of the facilities. In addition, an updated annual fee of €XNUMX, which the company will pay to the port authority.
The original 50-year concession, which expired in 2022 and was granted in 1972 to the Pasito Blanco Yacht Club (and transferred to Puerto Deportivo Pasito Blanco SL, under Lopesan's management, in 2003), is now being renewed under strict conditions. The technical report supporting this agreement, currently in the public information phase, highlights that Lopesan requested this exceptional extension on two occasions (2021 and 2024), relying on regulations that allow extensions in exchange for "significant" investments.
The €3.356.740 investment plan, considered "relevant" for the extension and to be implemented within a five-year period, is structured around seven of the eight initiatives proposed by Lopesan. The largest allocation, €1.171.242, will be allocated to the implementation of a 190 kWp photovoltaic installation for self-consumption. This system will consist of 900 square meters of panels that will form canopies and pergolas in the parking lots (Goleta and Bergantín streets), covering four spaces per pergola (9 pergolas with 24 panels each), and 626,50 square meters on the roofs of the seven boatyard buildings (250 panels). Additionally, a solar photovoltaic public lighting network will be integrated with 57 new points on the interior roads.
Beyond green energy, the modernization includes: Charging points for electric vehicles, a spill containment system with a triple floating barrier to prevent spills, 134 new turrets for the telematic control of supplies to vessels, a vacuum sanitation system, a Port Operations Control tower, video surveillance, access control, parking management, and a fiber optic and Wi-Fi network.
Lopesan has undertaken an eighth non-mandatory but highly value-added project: the 316,98-square-meter expansion of the La Punta Yacht Club leisure and restaurant area, at a cost of €808.101. This expansion will include a new indoor dining area and a cold storage room for kitchen service, improving the offering to guests. Overall, this operation represents Lopesan's commitment to the renovation of Pasito Blanco, a marina that, after more than half a century of operation, is preparing to face the challenges of sustainability, efficiency, and new technologies in port management, ensuring its relevance in Gran Canaria's tourism landscape for the coming decades.
