Wind power slowly increasing on Lanzarote

Lanzarote’s wind farms have increased energy production, and the entry of four more turbines into operation will further boost renewables, but the island remains heavily reliant on imported fuel oil.

Lanzarote is gifted with almost constant wind and sunshine, as well as potentially important tidal and geothermal resources, so the island’s prolonged failure to take advantage of renewable power sources remains an embarrassment to an island that proudly boasts of its Biosphere Reserve status.

Lanzarote’s wind turbines produced 65.3 megawatts of energy in 2024, 12% more than in 2023 but 7 megawatts fewer than in 2022. Those 65 megawatts, however, account for just 8.7 % of the 747,000 megawatts of power generated on Lanzarote last year.

By far the most wind power is generated by the Arrecife and Teguise windfarms, each of which consists of four turbines, both located on the sandy plain in the central area between Montaña Mina and Montaña Zonzamas. Another four turbines in the same zone form the San Bartolomé wind park, which was finally granted approval to begin operating this March after a long delay.

The other windfarms are the two turbines at Punta Grande near Costa Teguise, and the 30-year-old Parque Eólico at Los Valles, where only one of the ten turbines is functioning. Another old wind park at Montaña Mina near San Bartolomé was recently disassembled after falling into such disuse that it caused a risk to passers-by.

But while small amounts of power are produced by solar panels and the burning of biomass fuels, the vast majority of power on Lanzarote continues to be produced by fossil fuel. The almost permanent smudge of smoke that stains the skies above the power station between Costa Teguise and Arrecife remains a symbol of the island’s reliance on imported fuel oil.

Last year did see a reduction in the amount of fuel oil that was imported to the island, with 135,000 tonnes arriving at the island’s port. This was the lowest total since 2006 when taking the pandemic into account. However, the 221,000 tons of petrol that arrived was the highest figure in history, reflecting the record numbers of vehicles on the island.

Meanwhile, the amount of solar panels on the island has barely changed in the last 15 years, partly reflecting the devastating impact of the “sunshine tax” that the Spanish government introduced in 2015. On Lanzarote, however, proposals for private solar energy parks have consistently run into objections on the grounds that they will affect the environment or have an adverse “visual impact”.

Meanwhile, many tourists who have just spent hours flying over glinting fields of solar panels and forests of wind turbines in France and Spain are genuinely surprised to find that Lanzarote isn’t taking advantage of its natural gifts.