Canary Islands authorize the dismantling of three 66 kV power lines in Fuerteventura

The General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands has authorized the closure and decommissioning of the 66 kV power lines Salinas-Corralejo, Salinas-Gran Tarajal, and Gran Tarajal-Matas Blancas, on the island of Fuerteventura. The resolution, signed on September 4, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 189, of September 21, 2026 (no. 3292), and resolves file AT24/021, promoted by Red Eléctrica de España, S.A.U.

The authorization is granted under Article 39 of the Regulation approved by Decree 141/2009, of November 10, and complies with the conditions of three environmental impact statements approved by COTMAC: that of July 30, 2013 (reinforcement of the Gran Tarajal-Salinas axis), that of December 22, 2014 (132 kV line Puerto del Rosario-La Oliva), and that of March 2, 2015 (132 kV line Gran Tarajal-Matas Blancas). The requests from Red Eléctrica were submitted on July 1, 2016, with projects endorsed on June 3, 2016, by the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Eastern Canary Islands.

The System Operator reported on October 21, 2024, that the closure requires, as a prerequisite, the commissioning of new circuits and 132/66 kV transformers. The company alleged that the works on the 132 kV axis were suspended for five years due to a contentious-administrative appeal by the Insular Council of Fuerteventura.

Three routes and 344 supports

• Salinas-Corralejo: 88 supports and 22.88 km (Puerto del Rosario 7.71 km and La Oliva 15.17 km).
• Salinas-Gran Tarajal: 151 supports and 39.07 km (Puerto del Rosario 13.69 km, Antigua 12.67 km, and Tuineje 12.71 km).
• Gran Tarajal-Matas Blancas: 105 supports and 31.92 km (Tuineje 13.18 km and Pájara 18.74 km).

The dismantling will be carried out in four phases: installation of mechanical protections for crossings, dismantling of the ground wire, dismantling of the single-circuit phases, and dismantling of supports, demolition of foundations, and restoration of urban pavement. The conductors are of the LARL-280 (HAWK) type, with a cross-section of 281.1 mm².

Deadlines, fauna, and heritage

• Maximum period of 18 months, from notification, to communicate the closure and decommissioning; delays must be justified before the General Directorate of Energy.
• Semi-annual report to said management center on the progress of the works.
• Works will be carried out outside of breeding seasons, preferably between July and December, with prior nest surveys.
• Nine supports will be maintained as roosts for the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus majorensis): four in Salinas-Gran Tarajal and five in Corralejo-Salinas, according to the report from the Biodiversity Service dated March 17, 2026.
• The section running through the SPA Llanos y Cuchillos de Antigua requires a favorable report from the Cabildo de Fuerteventura.
• Resolution 6856/2025 of the Counselor of the Insular Area of Culture authorized the decommissioning with preventive measures in the BIC Barranco de Tinojay, Barranco del Cavadero, and Pared de Jandía.

Budget by municipality

• Tuineje: 537,602.01 euros.
• Puerto del Rosario: 431,537.77 euros.
• Pájara: 362,770.31 euros.
• La Oliva: 339,905.98 euros.
• Antigua: 260,639.93 euros.

The municipal breakdown totals 1,932,456.00 euros for the set of the three projects.

The resolution does not end the administrative process: an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Vice-Counselor for Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Energy within one month. The decommissioning will remove 93.87 kilometers of overhead lines from the Majorero landscape and eliminate the risk of bird collisions, although the island’s supply remains dependent on the full operability of the 132 kV axis.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 189, of September 21, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, page 34936 (official reference: no. 3292).