Canary Islands government approves geothermal exploration drilling in Tenerife

The Governing Council of the Canary Islands has approved the start of geothermal resource exploration surveys on the island of Tenerife, particularly for a number of sites that were tendered back in 2021. The main goal for this project would be to assess geothermal potential for the sites, located in the southern part of Tenerife, through exploratory drilling, and thus assessing the feasibility of geothermal electricity generation.

The “TF-Sur Soundings” project will involve four mining grids assigned in the tender. The Tahatan and Tikahit sites have been assigned to commercial entity Energia Geotermica de Canarias, while two sites in Barranco Hondo will be managed by the Technological Institute and Renewable Energies (Instituto Tecnológico y Energías Renovables / ITER). The licenses were awarded to these two companies back in 2024.

Salient to the approval is the decision to exclude the “TF-Sur Soundings” project from the simplified environmental impact assessment procedure. This was done to comply with European regulations that establish a timeframe to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in Europe. None of the surveys planned are located within natural areas belonging to the Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Areas or the Natura 2000 Network, which justifies the decision.