Press office

• Red Eléctrica launches an informative campaign and sets up two citizens advice centres in the local councils of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán.
   

The project for the construction of the Soria-Chira pumped-storage hydroelectric power station, backed by all levels of government and a key element in the new energy model in the Canary Islands, has begun the public information process. In the coming weeks, project documentation will be available to all those interested at the government offices of the Canary Islands and in the local councils of the municipalities of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán.

In order to act with the utmost transparency in this process, Red Eléctrica has sent a letter and an informative brochure to the residents of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán. It has also set up citizens’ advice centres at the municipal offices of the local councils of these two cities to explain the main characteristics and aspects of this infrastructure to anyone who may be interested.

The 200 megawatt Soria-Chira pumped-storage hydroelectric power station includes the construction of a seawater desalination plant and the associated marine works. It also includes the connection of the power station to the recently commissioned Santa Águeda substation via a 220 kilovolt electricity line that is 20 kilometres in length.

With a forecasted investment of 320 million euros, the construction of this facility will create up to 500 direct jobs and approximately 1,500 indirect jobs. The commissioning date is expected to be around five and a half years after construction works commence, once all administrative permitting authorisations have been granted.

The Soria-Chira pumped-storage hydroelectric power station will connect two existing reservoirs located in the central area of ​​the island of Gran Canaria: the Soria reservoir, which will be used as the lower reservoir system, and the Chira reservoir, which acts as the upper reservoir. The power station will be located in the municipal area of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. All elements of the main hydraulic circuit, except for the surge tank and sluice gates, will be underground, so as to significantly reduce its visual impact on the environment.

The power station will have the power generation capacity to supply about 36% of the current peak demand of the island, making it an efficient operation tool of the electricity system to improve security of supply, system security and the integration of renewable energy on the island of Gran Canaria. It will also be an essential facility to advance towards the sustainability of the new energy model on the Canary Islands.

The project includes improvements to the environment, such as the renovation of the area adjacent to the new desalination plant in order to facilitate its use for sports in the future. In addition, a tourist trail of 14 kilometres will be built in the Arguineguín ravine over the aqueduct that will carry water from the desalination plant to the Soria dam.

The Press Office of Red Eléctrica publishes all written and audio-visual information via the Twitter account @RedElectricaREE.

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