At a time when the energy transition is progressing unevenly across the islands, the Barranco de Tirajana thermoelectric plant is once again positioning itself as the cornerstone of Gran Canaria's electrical grid stability. According to data recorded for 2025, approved investments in its various units exceed €27 million, a figure that reveals both the structural dependence on natural gas and the slow pace of renewable energy deployment in the southern part of the archipelago.
The plant, managed under the umbrella of Endesa Generación, combines steam and combined cycle units in an arrangement that dates back to the early efforts to diversify the Canary Islands' energy mix at the beginning of the century. The Gas 3 and Gas 4 facilities, integrated into the first combined cycle (CC1), and Gas 5, Gas 6, and Vapor 4, belonging to the second (CC2), represent the largest investments, exceeding €4,7 million in some cases.
Meanwhile, the old steam units —Barranco de Tirajana 3 and 4—, which still operate as thermal backup, maintain allocations above 2,6 million, reflecting the need to sustain equipment that, despite its age, continues to be critical in the face of a lack of storage and solar intermittency.
The Barranco de Tirajana case highlights the Canary Islands' energy paradox: a system that invests millions in maintaining fossil fuel power plants while the effective integration of renewables is delayed by a lack of grid infrastructure and territorial planning. With over 60% of the island's energy generation still dependent on gas or petroleum products, Gran Canaria faces a scenario where the "transition" has become more of a political slogan than a verifiable technical roadmap.
The underlying question among engineers and economists is whether the Archipelago will be able to transform these figures into a strategic advantage—an opportunity to modernize the network and reduce its external vulnerability—or whether, on the contrary, it will remain tied to a model of subsidized dependence, as costly as it is inefficient.
