The energy map of southern Gran Canaria is back in motion. The General Directorate of Energy has authorized Naturgy Renovables Canarias to modify the design of the El Tabaibal Wind Farm, a 4,7 MW facility located between Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Agüimes. The resolution also grants an exceptional extension of deadlines, crucial to ensuring the project's continued administrative progress.
The Southeast, which has become the Canary Islands' largest renewable energy hub two decades ago, has taken another step in the reconfiguration of its wind corridor. The Tabaibal wind farm is part of a region where numerous wind farms, promoted by Naturgy, Iberdrola, Ecoener, and other companies, are already operating or under development.
The approved modification allows Naturgy to adapt the project to new technical and environmental requirements. The most significant change is the replacement of the Enercon E-92 wind turbines with E-82 models, which are more compact and better suited to the area's topography. This adjustment reduces the visual impact and facilitates installation on already designated plots.
Another key point is the reduction in new construction associated with the evacuation line. Naturgy will utilize existing conduits from other nearby power plants, minimizing excavation and reducing pressure on an area with a high density of energy infrastructure. The Government particularly values this approach to "optimizing the electricity corridor."
In parallel, the company is relocating the control building and the switching center within the same site. New remote control and low-voltage equipment is also being installed, essential for improving the digital control of the plant and aligning it with current remote operation standards.
The modification has passed the environmental review required by the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The file was sent to the Directorate General for Climate Action, which determined that the changes do not substantially alter the anticipated impact. The project will not have to restart the full assessment, but it must maintain the established monitoring and surveillance measures.
With this step, Naturgy consolidates its position in the Pozo Izquierdo–Arinaga area, one of the regions with the highest wind power production in the archipelago. For the company, the extension of the administrative milestone established by Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 is crucial at a time of regulatory pressure and rising costs.
The Southeast is thus advancing towards its historic goal: to strengthen the island's energy independence and accelerate decarbonization. The processing of the El Tabaibal Wind Farm confirms that the energy transition in Gran Canaria is progressing, navigating technical adjustments, bureaucracy, and territorial balance, but without losing momentum.
