Mogán opens for public consultation the extension of the brine discharge

The General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Government of the Canary Islands has opened for public consultation the procedure for the extension and modification of the authorization for land-to-sea discharge and the concession for the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain for the brine discharge of the Seawater Desalination Plant (EDAM) of Playa de Mogán, in the municipality of Mogán, Gran Canaria. This is detailed in the Resolution of August 5, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands number 166, dated August 19, 2026, within the other announcements section of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy.

The file, identified by reference VM-211-LP, remains open for public consultation for twenty business days, starting from the day following its publication in the official gazette, so that any interested party may submit allegations.

A file with more than a decade of procedures

The brine discharge from the Playa de Mogán desalination plant has a long administrative history. Through the Resolution of the Vice-Ministry of Environment No. 200, of July 3, 2018, the Mogán City Council was authorized, for a period of four years, to discharge brine from the facility from land to sea.

Subsequently, the council has promoted two requests that are now being processed jointly:

• On April 27, 2022, the City Council requested the extension of the discharge authorization and the concession for the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain for another four years.
• On July 29, 2025, it requested the modification of the discharge resolution to expand the production capacity of the Mogán desalination plant.

Legal framework of the procedure

The opening of the public consultation is based on the General Coastal Regulations, approved by Royal Decree 876/2014, of October 10. Article 152, paragraphs 8 and 9, requires that both the processing of concessions and authorizations regarding industrial and pollutant discharges from land to sea be submitted for public consultation for a period of twenty days. Article 156 of the same regulation governs the administrative coordination for granting these authorizations when they require a concession from the Ministry for the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain.

The processing corresponds to the General Directorate of Environmental Quality by virtue of Decrees 54/2021, of May 27, 41/2023, of July 14, and 123/2023, of July 17, which determine the competencies and organic structure of the ministries of the Government of the Canary Islands.

How to participate

The case documentation may be consulted once the resolution is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands and on the notice board of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy, via the electronic headquarters of the Government of the Canary Islands. The resolution, signed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on August 5, 2026, by the Director General of Environmental Quality, Ángel Pablo Montañés Ríos, also orders its referral to the Publications Service for official dissemination.

The expansion of the capacity of the Playa de Mogán desalination plant and the extension of its brine discharge into the sea have a direct impact on the water quality of the Gran Canaria coastline and on the balance of the marine ecosystem in the area. Citizen participation in this process is key so that affected residents and groups can present their observations before a final decision is made on a case that will condition the water and environmental management of the municipality for the coming years.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 166, August 19, 2026, V. Announcements, Other announcements, page 32368 (official reference: announcement 2991, case VM-211-LP).