The Governing Council of the Canary Islands has approved the commencement of geothermal resource exploration surveys on the island of Tenerife, focusing on several sites that were tendered in 2021. This initiative aims to assess the geothermal potential of these sites, located in the southern part of Tenerife, through exploratory drilling. The goal is to determine the feasibility of generating geothermal electricity.

Playa de Tenerife, Spain

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

A key decision in the approval process was the exclusion of the “TF-Sur Soundings” project from the simplified environmental impact assessment procedure. This was done in compliance with European regulations designed to expedite the deployment of renewable energy. The survey sites are not located within natural areas that are part of the Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Areas or the Natura 2000 Network, which justified the exclusion from the environmental review.

The council also determined that initiating the simplified environmental impact process could cause delays that might be more environmentally harmful than the planned exploratory activity. The project has been thoroughly evaluated and validated by specialized technical personnel from both the Canary Islands Government and the Tenerife Island Council. Throughout the project, the government will implement environmental monitoring protocols to ensure that the project aligns with sustainability goals, marking a step toward a cleaner and more renewable energy model for the region.

Once the drilling operations are completed and the equipment is removed, the affected areas will be restored to their original state. Excavated sites will be backfilled and leveled using material from nearby stockpiles, ensuring there will be no permanent environmental impact from the exploration.