Spanish TSO completes Canary Islands interconnector

Red Eléctrica has completed a Canary Islands interconnector: the 132kV inter-island link between the Playa Blanca substation on Lanzarote and the La Oliva substation on Fuerteventura, increasing security and quality of renewable supply across the two Canary Islands.

Red Eléctrica invested €36 million ($35.5 million) in the link, which consists of a 14.5km underwater route, running at a maximum depth of 80 metres, as well as two land-based underground cable sections of 1.8km on Lanzarote and 645 metres on Fuerteventura.

Canary Islands interconnector

The new interconnection bolsters the existing one, commissioned in 2005; a 66kV alternating current electricity link.

Thanks to the new link and its accompanying redundancy, the robustness of the electricity system on both islands is strengthened and the possibilities and conditions for maintenance are improved, helping eliminate and reduce generation constraints.

Prospecting, cartography and bathymetric mapping work were carried out in the design of the underwater cable route, which provided insights into the seabed, water currents, water and sediment quality and the biological state of the sea fauna and flora communities present along the route.

Horizontal directional drilling techniques were used for the link’s sea-coast landing point.

This was coordinated where the cable transitions from the sea to the land by way of offshore to onshore junction chambers to protect the cables close to the coast, while minimising impact on the beaches and coastal strip.

Red Eléctrica’s investments in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Red Eléctrica has made significant investments to strengthen the transmission grid on these islands. which have proven essential to help cover electricity demand and integrate new renewable energy.

Since 2011, Red Eléctrica has invested around €268 million ($264.5 million) in the development of new grids and in the renovation, improvement and maintenance works of the transmission grid assets on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Among other facilities, seven new substations have been built, including the new Playa Blanca, Tías and Callejones substations on Lanzarote and their connections to the grid, as well as this new submarine link.

Furthermore, efforts have been made with the renovation of nearly the entire grid acquired from Unelco Endesa to adapt it to the quality standards of Red Eléctrica.

Similarly, the 2021-2026 Electricity Transmission Grid Planning contemplates the bolstering of the 132 kV axes on both islands, as well as the construction of new substations and the enlargement of existing ones, essential actions to be able to have a safe and robust electricity system that meets the current and future needs of the islands.

During the link’s inauguration ceremony, Red Eléctrica chairwoman, Beatriz Corredor, wanted to highlight “the importance of continuing to make progress in the energy transition, especially in isolated electricity systems such as the Canary Islands, where greater renewable integration is synonymous with greater energy independence”.

President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Victor Torres, added, stressing the importance of this infrastructure, which “strengthens the electricity system of the Canary Islands, contributes to moving towards the decarbonisation of our economy and enables greater penetration of clean energy”.

Currently, the percentage of clean energy penetration in the Canary Islands system stands at 22%, which is double what it was in 2018.