Zapata says El Charco plant demolition starts in May, with one turbine and a chimney to be removed
The Canary Islands Government’s Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano Zapata, announced that the dismantling of the El Charco power plant will begin next month, with the first works on the infrastructure.
“One turbine and one of the chimneys will be removed,” he said in an interview on La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular, highlighting the long‑awaited start of the process on the island.
Three Decentralised Generation Groups in La Hondura, Zurita and Tuineje
Zapata emphasized the breakthrough achieved by finally launching the public tender of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) after 13 years.
“Nobody thought the tender could be issued.”
He added that for more than a decade the island had “been without a tender and without investment.”
With the tender completed and the dismantling of the plant confirmed, three new generation groups will be installed in different parts of the island.
“It is a decentralised model, with three production centres,” he explained, locating them in La Hondura, Zurita and the municipality of Tuineje, though exact sites have not yet been disclosed.
He stressed that “none of those groups will be installed in El Charco,” easing residents’ concerns about the future of the neighbourhood, which will regain a significant area once the plant is removed.
40 % Reduction in Pollution
Regarding the timeline, Zapata clarified that the work will be progressive and complex, but far shorter than the more than thirty years residents have been waiting.
“We are talking about a horizon of four, five or six years,” he said, to complete the plant’s dismantling and integrate the new groups, which will cut emissions by 40 % compared with the current installations.
The new groups will operate on gas, a fuel he argues enables a cleaner transition within the island’s energy system.
Zapata also underscored that this model does not conflict with the development of renewable energy, but rather forms part of a necessary transition.
“We must keep advancing renewable‑energy planning,” he affirmed, noting that the system must evolve toward a greater share of sustainable sources.
Thirteen Years Without a Tender and Without Investment
The announcement comes amid political debate. Luis Chacón, the Industry councilor of the Puerto del Rosario City Council, recently claimed that the dismantling depends on MITECO, reducing the regional government’s role to mere “notes.”
Zapata responded forcefully:
“They are not notes.”
“After thirteen years, we have managed to hold a public tender.”
He highlighted the Canary Islands Government’s work in unlocking a process that had been stalled for years. While the ultimate competence lies with the State, the regional involvement has been decisive.
“We have achieved the public tender whose resolution includes the dismantling of El Charco and La Candelaria,” he reiterated.
During a meeting with residents of the “Unidos por el Charco” association, Zapata also addressed the handling of waste generated by the dismantling.
“The entire process will be carried out by an authorized manager,” he explained, ensuring that materials will be treated in accordance with current regulations.
He concluded that the dismantling will recover the whole space for the city.