New wind parks

In 2007, a public tender was issued for the supply of wind power from new wind parks feeding exclusively into the Canary islands electrical grid. The total power requirement (as described in an Order dated 27 April 2007) was 440MW, of which 170MW was for the island of Tenerife alone.

The result of the tender, as set out in an Order dated 29 December 2009 (and published in the regional official bulletin BOC of 14 January 2010), awarded ITER an allocation of three wind parks, each rated at 18.4MW, and of which two were promoted by an economic interest grouping (AIE), as follows:

• An 18.4MW wind park in the grounds of the Arico Environmental Complex (Tenerife), in the area of Lomo del Arrastradero, within the municipality of Arico; this was promoted by ITER.
• The Areté and La Roca wind parks (each rated at 18.4MW), both located in the Granadilla industrial estate, plot No. 26327, in the SP1 and SP2 sectors, within municipality of Granadilla de Abona. The promoter of this facility is PARQUES EÓLICOS DE GRANADILLA AIE, which is owned by three public-capital companies: ITER SA (of the Tenerife island council), GRANADILLA DE SUELO SUR SL (owned by Granadilla town hall) and POLÍGONO INDUSTRIAL DE GRANADILLA (itself jointly owned by the Tenerife island council, the Canary Islands regional government, Granadilla town council and the SEPES group).

The three parks each consist of eight ENERCON E-70 turbines, each rated at 2.3MW nominal and arranged as a two-row array. Each turbine has an in-built transformer, increasing output to 20kV. Since the wind park is connected to the grid at 66kV via the future SE ABONA 220/66 substation, an intermediate 66/20 kV substation is also required.

The wind park of the Environmental Complex of Tenerife

The chosen location of this wind park is explained by the combination of favourable prevailing wind conditions in the area and the compatibility of the wind park with current land use. The Arico Environmental Complex is located in an area of excellent wind energy potential and, as its main use is as a waste disposal complex, the impact on the environment would be minimal because of the existing infrastructure and the already high level of human activity in the area. The location of the wind park is fully compatible, not only with current land use, but also fully compatible with the activities of the waste disposal complex.

Regarding the Arico Environmental Complex, the benefits of this wind park will include its capacity to adopt palliative measures in response to any unwelcome environmental impact, as well as landscape restoration, together with the development of urban installations and improvements to infrastructure. In addition, through the wind park, the Arico Environmental Complex will be helping to supply clean energy to a site with high energy usage, as well as a high potential for renewable energy.

The wind park will provide clean energy to 12,854 homes, and help to cut emissions of CO2 and SO2 by 43,575 tonnes and 154 tonnes, respectively, during its 25-year operational life.

The Areté and La Roca wind parks in the Granadilla industrial estate

Granadilla Industrial Estate is situated in an area of excellent wind potential and given its existing and planned use as an industrial complex and the already high level of human activity in the area, the environmental impact of the wind park would be minimal. The benefits of the wind park will include its capacity to adopt palliative measures in response to any unwelcome environmental impact, as well as landscape restoration, together with the development of urban installations and improvements to infrastructure. In addition, the Granadilla Industrial Estate will be helping to supply clean energy to a site with high energy consumption, as well as a high potential for renewable energy.

In terms of planning the location of the wind turbines, while taking into account the requirements imposed by the tender, consideration was given to an urban development plan for the area, namely that the wind turbines should be located outside the estate or in green or communal areas, and served by common roadways (with service piping and channelling running parallel to these), so as to minimise the impact and synergise the uses of the various infrastructures.

The wind parks will provide clean energy to some 25,000 homes, and help to cut emissions of CO2 and SO2 by almost 100,000 tonnes and 300 tonnes, respectively, during their 25-year operational life.