Lanzarote and Fuerteventura inaugurate the first 132 kilovolt submarine electric cable between islands

Corujo: “The new energy interconnection with Fuerteventura guarantees a more robust, efficient and sustainable energy system for the island”

EKN

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EKN

October 17 2022 (15:35 WEST)
Updated in October 17 2022 (21:06 WEST)
Representatives of the company and the different levels of the Canarian administration during the inauguration Photos: José Luis Carrasco
Representatives of the company and the different levels of the Canarian administration during the inauguration Photos: José Luis Carrasco

Red Eléctrica has inaugurated this Monday the submarine electrical interconnection between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura at 132 kilovolts, from the Playa Blanca substation in Lanzarote, to the La Oliva substation in Fuerteventura.

This interconnection is the first between the Canary Islands and with it the security and quality of supply of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is improved, as well as the energy transition of the islands, since it will allow the evacuation of renewable energies when necessary in safe conditions for the system, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The inauguration ceremony, which took place at the Playa Blanca substation, was attended by, among others, the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Victor Torres and the Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning, José Antonio Valbuena, the president of Redeia, the group to which Red Eléctrica belongs, Beatriz Corredor, the president of the Lanzarote Island Council, María Dolores Corujo.

During the event, the president of Red Eléctrica, Beatriz Corredor, wanted to highlight “the importance of continuing to advance in the energy transition, especially in isolated systems such as the Canary Islands, where greater renewable integration is synonymous with greater energy independence”, and recalled the company's commitment to the energy future of the Canary Islands with projects such as the Salto de Chira”.

For his part, the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Victor Torres, has stressed the importance of this infrastructure between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura “to strengthen the Canarian electricity system, move towards the decarbonisation of our economy and enable greater penetration of clean energy”, whose percentage currently stands at 22 percent, which is double what it was in 2018.

The President of the Cabildo, María Dolores Corujo, expressed her satisfaction with “the improvement of security and supply infrastructures between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the only ones in which there is currently an interconnection between islands”.

María Dolores Corujo expressed her desire that “a prompt electrical connection between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura and, therefore, with Lanzarote” should take place. She justified this desire by saying that in the two eastern islands there is plenty of wind, sun, tides and waves, “but we stumble upon an insurmountable obstacle for energy storage, and that is our orography, so the electrical interconnection with Gran Canaria would allow us to access the storage of our capital island and achieve a decarbonised Canary Islands as soon as possible”.

 

A cable of more than 15 kilometres with a maximum depth of 80 metres

Red Eléctrica has invested 36 million euros in this link, with a route that uses the latest techniques in environmental protection and integration into the environment. Thus, the infrastructure consists of 14.5 km of submarine route, with a maximum depth of 80 metres, and two underground land routes of 1.8 km in Lanzarote and 645 metres in Fuerteventura.

In order to trace its marine route, prospecting, mapping and bathymetric mapping work has been carried out, which has made it possible to know in depth both the seabed and other aspects of great relevance such as currents, water and sediment quality and the biological status of the communities of fauna and flora present.

In addition, the landing of the cable at both ends has been carried out using the directional drilling technique, with the aim of protecting the cables near the coast, while minimising the impact on the beaches and the coastline.

The new interconnection reinforces the other existing one, which was put into service in 2005, and which transports electrical energy at 66 kV in alternating current. Thanks to the new link and the redundancy provided by this new interconnection, the robustness of the electrical system in both islands is reinforced and its possibilities and maintenance conditions are improved, also eliminating generation restrictions.

 

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