Canary Islands Government activates temporary power installation in La Herradura to prevent blackouts
Its aim is to provide backup capacity during critical system moments, operate only in specific situations, and ensure a safe power supply on the island of Fuerteventura.
The Canary Islands Government Council has agreed to move forward with the processing of a new emergency generation plant on the island of Fuerteventura, as part of the extraordinary measures already announced to strengthen the security of the electricity supply and avoid possible blackouts, a consequence of the energy‑emergency declaration of 2 October 2023.
In a statement, the regional executive said the installation will be managed by Disa and will be activated only when needed, in the event of a real risk of blackout, always guaranteeing the safety of the population. A provisional, safe response at no cost to the Canary Islands.
The action has been coordinated with the Fuerteventura Island Council to find the best possible location, as well as with the municipality of Puerto del Rosario.
This progress adds to the recent approval of two other projects, also by the Government Council, for the island of Tenerife, with plants to be located in the industrial park of La Campana (9 MW) and the industrial park of Granadilla (14.8 MW), to be operated by the companies Sampol and Disa respectively. All of them fall within the framework of the actions announced to face the current energy emergency.
The Government noted that this is another step in its administrative process, which will later lead to definitive authorization by the Directorate General of Energy and subsequent installation.
A Transitional and Secure Response
The plant located in La Herradura, named “Mezque,” has been designed as modular, mobile, and provisional infrastructure, adapted to the nature of emergency energy solutions.
Its aim is to provide backup capacity during critical system moments, operate only in specific situations, and ensure a safe power supply on the island of Fuerteventura.
Moreover, the generation units will comply with current environmental regulations, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems that guarantee emission reductions and operation within the most demanding standards.
For the island of Fuerteventura, where the current deficit reported by the system operator (REE) is 50 MW, this installation, together with another similar facility located also in Puerto del Rosario and currently undergoing authorization, will provide 30 MW of capacity—equivalent to 60 % of the island’s deficit, as indicated by the system operator (Red Eléctrica).