Canarias has announced subsidies aimed at reducing the additional costs of extracting water from wells and galleries, desalination, and/or the production of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation in the archipelago, endowed with eight million euros.
The actions eligible for aid are those carried out in the period between January 1 and December 31, 2024, and will cover the electricity costs associated with the pumping and production of water for agricultural irrigation from wells, galleries, or desalination or water treatment plants, among other expenses included in the call for applications.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, pointed out that this line of support complements other measures developed by the Canary Executive to provide water resources to the agricultural sector of the islands, such as making ten desalination plants for agricultural irrigation available to the island councils, and the investment of approximately 20 million euros planned in the budgets of the Autonomous Community for the improvement of irrigation networks and hydraulic infrastructures.
Public or private entities that supply water for agricultural irrigation from wells, galleries, seawater desalination plants and/or reclaimed water production facilities may benefit from these grants. Among the possible beneficiaries are local entities, public law corporations, public companies or associations and Canary water communities, established under Law 12/1990 of Canary Islands Water, and user communities provided for in state water legislation. Likewise, natural or legal persons who produce water for agricultural irrigation may also benefit from this measure.
In the Canary Islands, the scarcity of surface water forces the demand of the population and agricultural activity to be met from groundwater captured through galleries and wells, and due to the scarcity of these in the eastern islands and the increase in demand above availability in the capital islands, the search for alternatives such as desalination or the reuse of treated water. Obtaining and supplying water from these sources entails high energy consumption costs, which result in high prices for agricultural irrigation water that are intended to be offset through these aids.
Interested persons in availing themselves of these funds financed by the Government of Spain must submit their application by May 29, 2026 along with the required documentation, through the Electronic headquarters of the regional Executive. Access the full text of the call.
