The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy has given the final approval to the launch of the San Bartolomé wind farm after issuing the authorization for its commissioning this week. This step culminates a key process for the energy development of the island, unlocking an investment of 11 million euros from the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN).
The Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano H. Zapata, has reiterated "the Executive's commitment to this island at all times", where "solutions and breakthroughs have been proposed for every problem in the face of extreme situations", in many cases "the result of disastrous prior management, but for which we are not looking the other way and we have been active".
Thus, Zapata valued this excellent news and the importance of this authorization, which will allow "the four wind turbines installed in the El Monte area, in the municipality of San Bartolomé, to begin generating clean energy". "Since we detected the problem, we worked to speed up the procedures without compromising the protection of the environment and its biodiversity. With this wind farm, Lanzarote will be able to produce 28,605 megawatt hours per year, reinforcing its energy security and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels," he explained, stating that this is good news for the Cabildo, for the entire island of Lanzarote and for the Government itself.
For his part, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, thanked the Ministry for its involvement in resolving a situation that "had paralyzed an essential infrastructure for the island". Oswaldo recalled that "when we arrived at the Cabildo, we found an infrastructure that had no type of authorization, without mandatory reports, and each month of delay in its installation meant an expense of 50,000 euros in rent for the space in the Muelle de los Mármoles, in addition to the risk of losing the total investment of the project", so this authorization represents "a great advance for Lanzarote and its commitment to a more sustainable energy model".
The Councilor for Wind Energy of the Cabildo, Domingo Cejas, points out that with the operation of this new wind farm "Lanzarote manages to take a new giant step in decarbonization, in increasing the sustainable production of energy and in complying with the objectives of the 2030 agenda". Likewise, Cejas affirms that "once all the administrative procedures are completed, the park will probably be fully operational within approximately two months".
The San Bartolomé wind farm has been promoted by INALSA, a public company dependent on the Insular Water Consortium of Lanzarote, is made up of four 120-meter high wind turbines, which together will generate 9.2 megawatts of power, and will contribute to increasing the penetration of renewable energies on the island, where currently no more than 20% of clean energy is exceeded.
Management in Lanzarote, "continuous commitment of the Government"
Regarding this issue, Minister Zapata also wanted to recall "the constant attention to the issues that concern the residents, highlighting the recent dismantling of the already obsolete wind farm in Montaña Mina, also in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana".
Zapata pointed out that "after years of inactivity and without a response from the promoter, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy assumed in record time the removal of the five wind turbines and the wiring, prioritizing the safety of people and the natural environment, solving and listening to a historical demand of the islanders". The complete dismantling, which began on December 26, included the restoration of the land, and the Island Council also valued the speed of the regional Executive in responding to this problem, highlighting that this action will recover a unique space on the island.