€17 million to upgrade Zurita's environmental complex

The Canary Islands’ Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano H. Zapata, visited Fuerteventura on Thursday to formalise the start of works at the Zurita Environmental Complex by signing the project‑planning act.

The strategic infrastructure, vital for the island’s waste‑management modernization, will be funded with €17 million from the regional budget, a key step toward transforming waste handling on the island.

The announcement, previously made, now moves into a new phase after securing the funds and initiating the procedures with the contractor responsible for the project’s implementation. The institutional push is essential to finally address a historic demand from Fuerteventura that has suffered more than a decade of administrative delays.

Launch Ceremony

The event was attended by:

• Mariano H. Zapata, Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy
• Ángel Montañés, Director General of Ecological Transition and Climate Change Fight
• Representatives of Tragsa, the company in charge of the works, and technical staff from the ministry
• Jéssica de León, Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Canary Islands
• Enrique Pérez, Waste Minister of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura

During the signing, which had been preliminarily ratified at the complex’s facilities, Zapata highlighted:

“Zurita has been one of the island’s biggest pending issues for years, and today we can confirm that the blockage has been lifted and the project will move forward with guarantees.”

He added:

“We are not talking about an announcement, but about a reality that is beginning to materialise with works, timelines and secured financing.”

Zapata also stressed the importance of the upgrade:

“Modernising the Zurita Environmental Complex is essential for Fuerteventura to meet circular‑economy goals and significantly reduce landfill disposal – something only possible with proper infrastructure and effective waste separation at source.”

He concluded:

“The signing of the planning act today marks the effective start of the works, putting an end to years of uncertainty and moving toward a more modern and efficient waste‑management model. We will work intensively to meet the agreed deadlines, and by December 2026 we aim to collect all domestic organic waste on the island, ending indiscriminate landfilling.”

Jéssica de León, Minister of Tourism and Employment, underlined the need for all tools to become a sustainable destination:

“Sustainability means responsibly managing our natural spaces and efficiently handling the waste we generate, reducing our footprint as much as possible. This is a priority for our ministry, where we have launched programmes such as ‘Journey to Decarbonisation.’ Once both plants are operational, new jobs linked to the green economy will emerge.”

Enrique Pérez, Waste Minister of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, said:

“This is another step in the work the Cabildo has been doing to improve waste treatment. Fuerteventura is the Canary island with the fastest recycling growth, thanks also to greater citizen awareness.”

He praised the regional government for fulfilling a long‑standing debt to the island’s residents:

“We thank the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy for unlocking such an important project that can finally become a reality.”

Historical Demand Enters Execution Phase

Located in the municipality of Puerto del Rosario, the Zurita Environmental Complex is the island’s primary waste‑management facility and a strategic component of the Canary Islands’ 2024‑2026 Circular‑Economy Action Plan (PAEC).

• Total investment: €17 million
• Construction period: three years, with completion slated for 2027

Throughout 2024 and 2025, the regional government worked to secure this funding. The Directorate General of Ecological Transition and Climate‑Change Fight held numerous meetings to overcome a decade of delays and administrative blocks, finally obtaining guaranteed financing. In October 2025, the Government Council approved the budget line, initiating the project’s planning phase with the selected contractor, culminating in today’s official signing and the imminent start of construction.

The project includes:

• A sorting plant to recover recyclable materials that are currently lost
• A composting plant to valorise the organic fraction of waste

These facilities will drastically reduce landfill disposal and enable the island‑wide implementation of separate collection of bio‑waste in all municipalities.

With this institutional visit and the definitive activation of works, the Canary Islands government reinforces its commitment to a more sustainable, efficient waste‑management system that aligns with the real needs of the territory, concluding a long‑awaited process for Fuerteventura.