The ambitious project for the construction of a solar energy technology park in Gran Canaria (ESGC) has reached a significant milestone with the acquisition of the land necessary for its development. The plot, covering 400,000 square metres in the south of the island, has been acquired with an initial investment of 60 million euros, marking the start of this initiative backed by a number of local companies.
The land, located in Lomo Gordo, within the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, was recently visited by the president of the park's board of directors, Santiago Marrero Jaimez, and other key members of the board. In addition to land acquisition, the project has established technological and administrative management bodies, which has facilitated the submission of most of the administrative documentation to the competent authorities at municipal, insular and autonomous community level.
Currently, the ESGC administration is awaiting the corresponding licences to move forward with the development and construction of the park. The chairman of the board highlighted the strategic choice of location, pointing out that the area has some of the best solar radiation in Europe.
This project is not limited to solar energy generation, but also focuses on solar energy storage research and training, with the aim of generating specialised employment for local youth. The president expressed the team's humility and its aspiration to create an ecosystem that positions Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands as international benchmarks in the field of solar energy.
The initial phase of the project comprises five plants with a total capacity of 25 megawatts (MW). These include a plant with highly energy-efficient modules, another with bifacial panels and another bio-agrovoltaic plant, designed to make use of the same surface area to obtain solar energy and agricultural products. In addition, the park, which is also committed to green hydrogen, will offer research services, architectural and landscape integration solutions, energy management, storage and specialised solar energy training.
Several local companies are backing this project, including SM Advance Energy, Aguas de Firgas, Grupo Lopesan, Jucarne, Ron Arehucas, Tirma, Kalise, Ahumados Canarios, Grupo Newport, Grupo Bonny, Grupo Martínez Abolafio, IRCAN, Global and UD Las Palmas.