Zapata says the El Charco plant has an expiration date, but doesn't specify it

Mariano H. Zapata, the Canary Islands Government’s Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, spoke today at a forum in Fuerteventura, highlighting recent progress on long‑standing structural problems that have plagued the island for decades, especially in energy supply and waste management.

“We are in Fuerteventura today to talk about the future, but also to explain how we have been solving historic problems that the island has endured for far too long,” Zapata said, emphasizing that the regional executive has focused on “addressing the real demands of the territory and turning them into actions.”

Energy sector

Zapata announced that the island is close to fulfilling one of its historic energy goals.

“As of today, the Las Salinas power plant already has an expiration date and will be dismantled as the new conventional generation groups awarded in the long‑term tender become operational.”

He explained that this breakthrough came after unlocking a procedure that had been stalled for more than thirteen years.

• In March, the Canary Government formally informed the Ministry that it would not authorize any repowering of the El Charco installation, thereby closing the door on situation the island has been demanding to resolve.
• The stance was reiterated during the appeal phase to the provisional resolution, aiming for the optimal outcome for the Canary Islands’ energy future.

Waste management

Another focal point of the meeting was waste management, described by Zapata as “a historic demand of Fuerteventura.”

He highlighted the unblocking of the Zurita Environmental Complex after more than a decade of administrative paralysis.

“We have secured a €17 million investment that will improve sorting, recycling, and the treatment of the organic fraction, laying the foundations for a modern and sustainable waste‑management system.”

Zapata acknowledged the complexity of the process but stressed that “thanks to the work carried out, Zurita is now a reality and becomes a key pillar for moving toward a more sustainable island.”

He added that the advances can be inspected on site during a planned visit to the facilities as part of the forum’s agenda.

Closing remarks

“In short, we are talking about attending to this island, its problems, and its demands. We know the solutions are not simple, but we have shown that we care, we act, and, because of that, we can now come to Fuerteventura to showcase such concrete results as the progressive closure of a historic power plant and the definitive unlocking of a key infrastructure like Zurita.”

The minister’s statements signal a decisive shift toward modernizing Fuerteventura’s energy infrastructure and waste‑management capabilities.