Canary Islands authorize the extension of the useful life of five thermal power plants

The General Directorate of Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands has granted administrative authorization for the life extension of five thermal power plants owned by Unión Eléctrica de Canarias Generación, S.A.U. (UECG). The five resolutions, signed by the general director Alberto Hernández Suárez, are published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (Boletín Oficial de Canarias) no. 203, dated October 9, 2026, within section III. Other Resolutions. The files affect facilities in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, La Palma, and Tenerife and total more than 300 MW of net power.

The authorizations are granted under Article 11 of the Regulation governing administrative procedures relating to the execution and commissioning of electrical installations in the Canary Islands, approved by Decree 141/2009, of November 10. Furthermore, the resolutions declare that the special territorial authorization regulated in Article 6 bis of Law 11/1997 is understood to be granted and subsumed within the substantive authorization, such that they legitimize the execution of the works by themselves without the need for an urban planning license or any other preventive municipal or insular control act.

The projects are framed within the Resolution of June 21, 2024, of the Secretary of State for Energy, which called for the competitive bidding procedure for the recognition of the additional remunerative regime for the electrical systems of non-peninsular territories. Through a Resolution of February 3, 2026, from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, published in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado) on February 24, 2026, the projects obtained a favorable compatibility resolution. The files were subject to public consultation for 30 days through announcements in April 2026 published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 79, of April 24, 2026.

The five power plants and their files

• Punta Grande (Arrecife, Lanzarote): gas turbine TG1 «Gas 1», file GE26/001, resolution of August 4, 2026, 19.60 MW net, RAIPEE code RO2-0115, project CA.034.
• Barranco de Tirajana (San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Gran Canaria): turbines G2B, TG3B, and TG4B, file GE26/002, resolution of September 11, 2026, 32.34 MW and 68.7 MW net, codes RO2-0090, RO1-1051, and RO1-1052, projects CA.063, CA.006, and CA.005.
• Jinámar (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria): turbines G2J and G3J, file GE26/003, resolution of September 11, 2026, 32.34 MW net each, codes RO2-0087 and RO1-0088, projects CA.008 and CA.009.
• Los Guinchos (Breña Alta, La Palma): diesel group D13, file GE26/004, resolution of September 11, 2026, 11.20 MW net, code RO2-0134, project CA.051.
• Granadilla (Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife): turbines G2G and TG3G, file GE26/005, resolution of September 11, 2026, 39.2 MW and 68.7 MW net, codes RO2-0104 and RO1-1055, projects CA.0026 and CA.0025.

What is authorized and under what limits

The actions aim to ensure the long-term reliable operation of the generating units through the replacement and renewal of internal equipment, without increasing the electrical or thermal power of the plants and without changes to the fuel used. Planned interventions include the replacement of rotors, casings, gearboxes, and starter motors, the update of control systems to version MARK VIe, the incorporation of Purge Credit and MEL (minimum environmental load reduction) systems, and the installation of new 6 kV busbars in existing substations.

In the case of Punta Grande, adaptation for high-voltage synchronization at 66 kV is also included, and in Los Guinchos, the installation of a high-efficiency constant-pressure turbocharging system. The projects are not subject to environmental impact assessment, and the General Directorate of Environmental Quality classified them as a non-substantial modification of the installation.

Allegations from Disa and authorization conditions

Disa Generación, S.L.U. filed allegations on June 8, 2026, under registration number 1231733/2026, in which it requested interested party status, the suspension of the regional procedure until its administrative appeal against the state resolution was resolved, new reports from the system operator and the CNMC, and the denial of authorization due to a possible dominant position and its compatibility with decarbonization objectives. UECG responded on June 23, 2026, under registration number 1358042/2026, opposing the suspension, and the Directorate General of Energy dismissed all requests, considering that the regional file is independent of the state procedure and that favorable environmental and territorial reports are on record.

The resolutions establish a maximum period of 12 months, from their notification, to submit the request for the commissioning of the facilities, and require that the works be executed by a high-voltage installer or installation company. Against these resolutions, which do not exhaust administrative remedies, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Vice-Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Energy within one month.

The decision has a direct impact on the guarantee of the electricity supply of four islands, by prolonging the availability of thermal plants that sustain generation in isolated island systems. At the same time, it keeps fossil fuel facilities in operation without an increase in power or a change in fuel, within a context of tension between system reliability and the decarbonization objectives of the Canary Islands.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 203, of October 9, 2026, III. Other Resolutions, pp. 36645-36705 (official reference: resolutions no. 3501 to 3505).