The Naturgy Power Generation Development Manager, Carlos González, and the Renewables Development Manager in the Canary Islands, Sergio Auffray, also attended, as well as several figures from the institutional and business sector in Gran Canaria.
The eight wind farms that make up the Agüimes wind power complex have a total of 16 wind turbines, an installed power capacity of 41 MW and represent a 63 million euro investment. These wind farms are expected to generate 127 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 50,000 homes.
The complex consists of the following installations: Balcón de Balos, Doramas, La Vaquería, Montaña Perros, Piletas 1, Triquivijate, Vientos del Roque and Haría, which began operating in April. This project represents a significant economic and social boost for the area as around 290 jobs were created during the construction phase.
| Wind Farm | Power | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Balcón de Balos | 9.2 | 13.4 |
| Doramas | 2.3 | 4 |
| Haría | 2.35 | 3.9 |
| La Vaquería | 2.35 | 4.1 |
| Montaña Perros | 2.3 | 4 |
| Piletas 1 | 12.8 | 18.9 |
| Triquivijate | 4.7 | 7.5 |
| Vientos del Roque | 4.7 | 7.5 |
| TOTAL | 40.7 MW | €63.3 M |
In addition, these installations will be able to replace more conventional electricity generation sources, therefore reducing environmentally harmful and greenhouse-effect emissions by 95,000 tonnes per year and 1.9 million tonnes of CO throughout their life span.
“By developing these projects, Naturgy reinforces its commitment to the Canary Islands and demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to increasing renewable energy generation, as reflected in our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan”, said Ana Peris, Power Generation Manager at Naturgy.
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, noted that the inauguration of the wind farms in the Agüimes wind power complex “is an important step for Gran Canaria, and the archipelago as a whole, towards the decarbonisation of our energy system, and gradually but sustainably reducing the percentage of fossil fuels in our energy mix”.
The regional President also identified the work carried out over the last three years by the Ministry of the Economy, Industry, Trade and Knowledge on this subject and the importance of the collaboration between the public and private sector to develop alternative energy projects.
The President of the Town Council of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, firmly believes that these wind farms are “an important step in introducing renewable energy to Gran Canaria”.
“We have been very slow to make use of what our natural conditions can provide us with. Now it is time to focus our efforts on extending the mix of renewable energy in Gran Canaria and be open to investments such as these new wind farms developed by Naturgy”, he added.
Presence in the Canary Islands
In addition to the wind farms in the Agüimes wind power complex, Naturgy has constructed an installation in Fuerteventura within the Canary Islands wind power quota, the Fuerteventura Renovables II wind farm, which will also start operating in the next few weeks.
The company currently has an additional portfolio of wind and photovoltaic projects being processed in the Canary Islands to submit in the coming wind and photovoltaic tenders announced by the Central Government for 2018 and 2019.
Naturgy
The renewables subsidiary of the multinational power company closed 2017 with an installed capacity in operation of 1,147 MW in Spain (979 MW from wind, 110 MW from mini-hydroelectric plants and 58 MW from cogeneration and photovoltaics).
The company plans to build a number of renewable energy projects in various autonomous regions over the coming months that will double its size by the end of 2019.
