What would happen if the ACS and Grupo Vinci project in southern Gran Canaria were abandoned? Some experts point out that with battery technology, it's already a colossal project that no longer makes sense.
The aftermath of Storm Therese has left more than just mud and closed roads in the Arguineguín ravine: it has fractured the consensus surrounding the largest civil engineering project in Gran Canaria's history. For the first time, the debate in the halls of the Mogán and San Bartolomé de Tirajana town halls is not about construction deadlines, but about a possibility that until recently was taboo: halting the Chira Dam project and returning the funding to the European Union.
The argument gaining traction in the south of the island is pragmatic and defensive in nature. Local councils maintain that if the existing infrastructure—altered by the Red Eléctrica works—cannot guarantee the minimum safety of communities like El Caidero or Huesa Bermeja during periods of heavy rainfall, the project is inherently flawed in its social design. The question the mayors pose to the Island Council and Red Eléctrica is devastating: Is a 200-megawatt water storage tank worth it if the price is the chronic isolation of the residents of the ravine?
From a financial perspective, the move would be a seismic event for the regional government's accounts. Chira-Soria is classified as a Project of Common Interest (PIC) and has a structure of grants and loans linked to the European Commission's green recovery and transformation funds. Returning the money to Brussels would not be a simple administrative formality; it would entail the payment of late payment interest, potential penalties for failing to meet decarbonization targets, and reputational damage that would hinder the Canary Islands' access to future structural funds.
However, municipal technicians suggest that proceeding with insufficient drainage and an altered ravine morphology could prove even more costly in the long run in terms of liability for catastrophic damage. The demand from Mogán and San Bartolomé to redefine priorities—prioritizing infrastructure and water evacuation over turbine installation—is, in practice, a complete overhaul of the current construction plan. If the Island Council and Red Eléctrica cling to the original design for fear of missing European deadlines, the conflict will inevitably escalate into a legal standstill.
The urgent meeting requested by the town councils will mark the point of no return. The Island Council faces the dilemma of choosing between scrupulously adhering to the deadlines set by Brussels or maintaining social peace with the municipalities that host the infrastructure. In southern Gran Canaria, the feeling is that the "energy sovereignty" model cannot be built at the expense of the basic security of those who live in the shadow of the dams. The threat of returning the funds is no longer political posturing; it is the last resort for town councils that feel the ravine can no longer withstand any more pressure.
