The deployment of new medium-voltage networks in Arinaga has triggered an urgent expropriation process to consolidate the industrial supply to the southeast. The Canary Islands Government's Directorate General of Energy has opened the application for a Declaration of Public Utility for the revised project of new medium-voltage (MV) lines originating from the Arinaga substation to public consultation. The announcement, signed by Director General Alberto Hernández Suárez, directly affects the lines known as “Arinaga,” “Vecindario,” “MT_Arina,” and “Atlántico.” This technological transition will allow for remote operation of network switching, transforming the underground “Coca Cola” node and the above-ground prefabricated substations at “Zona Franca” and “Manzana II” into smart stations capable of automatically isolating faults in milliseconds.
The regulatory procedure, processed under files MT202400026 and MT202400030, covers an investment of 1.173.877,79 euros assumed by the promoter Edistribución Redes Digitales, SLU, a subsidiary of the Endesa group, with the aim of reconfiguring the distribution capacity and strengthening the electrical grid that supplies the main logistics and industrial hub of the southeast region of Gran Canaria.
Activating the Declaration of Public Utility automatically triggers the expedited procedure outlined in Article 52 of the Law on Compulsory Purchase. This legal prerogative necessitates the compulsory occupation of the properties and the acquisition of real rights over the private plots affected by the new underground route, thus accelerating the construction process in the public interest of the infrastructure.
The project is positioned as a key technical component to meet the growing demand for power in the industrial expansion areas and adjacent residential areas of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, guaranteeing the continuity of supply in the face of peak consumption.
The project designed by Edistribución Redes Digitales prioritizes the deployment of underground lines to minimize visual impact and ensure physical insulation against the harsh weather conditions of the Agüimes coastal area. The technical specifications of the upgrade include three main interventions on 240-square-millimeter aluminum conductors operating at 12/20 kilovolts (kV). One branch, called the Coca-Cola Connection, is a 991-meter-long single-circuit underground section designed to link the cells of the new Arinaga substation with the existing C101715 transformer station, commercially known as “Coca-Cola.”
The construction budget also covers the structural renovation of the three transformer substations involved to enable network automation. The replacement of obsolete switchgear will be carried out by installing new motorized cells insulated with sulfur hexafluoride gas. The start of the public consultation period opens a window of thirty business days for private property owners, industrial companies in the Free Trade Zone, and holders of affected real property rights in the province of Las Palmas to examine the technical file and submit comments.
The project documentation and the detailed list of affected properties remain available for in-person consultation at the headquarters of the Ministry of Energy, located on the fourth floor of the Multi-Purpose Administrative Building III in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, requiring a mandatory prior appointment through the 012 telephone service. Those interested also have online access to the trench plans and technical reports on the electronic headquarters of the Autonomous Government.
