Canary Islands plan 26 substation sites and 452 kilometres of new power lines by 2030

Strengthening the grid to meet rising demand and support renewables

The new electricity grid plan for the Canary Islands through 2030 includes 26 substation sites, 452 kilometres of new power lines and the uprating of a further 26 kilometres of existing lines. Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco) revised the plan after reviewing 2,566 submissions received during the public consultation phase.

The changes add four substation sites and 26 additional bays compared with the initial proposal, primarily to reinforce distribution networks. The Secretary of State for Energy, Joan Groizard, presented the changes to the Canary Islands’ Minister for Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano Hernández Zapata, at a meeting held on 23 October 2026.

The aim is to improve the stability of the island power systems and expand capacity to connect new consumption and generation. The plan sizes the grids to accommodate 0.4 GW of additional demand, with the electrification of ports and homes among the expected areas of growth. It also provides capacity to integrate around 2.2 GW of renewable generation.

These figures describe the capacity envisaged in the plan, not generation or consumption that is already connected. The proposal still has to proceed through further stages, and the available information does not set completion dates for each project.

Priority projects on several islands

Projects identified as priorities include reactors and synchronous condensers, equipment that helps improve system stability. The proposal also includes reinforcements along specific power corridors:

• On La Palma, grid meshing.
• On Tenerife, a new north–south axis and the western ring.
• On Lanzarote, the Tías–Playa Blanca axis.
• On Gran Canaria, reinforcement of the north–south axis.

The plan also includes work to advance technical studies and administrative procedures for a future power link between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. No construction date has been announced for that connection. On Tenerife, infrastructure is being prepared for the future integration of the Güímar pumped-storage hydropower plant.

Reinforcing distribution networks

The plan is also framed by a regulation approved by the government in the summer of 2026. Under it, distribution networks must provide for specific reinforcements in island territories where interruptions exceed the national average, even if they comply with the limits set by current regulations.

For companies and projects that need access to electricity, the plan points to a clear direction: strengthen grid capacity and prepare to integrate new consumption and renewables. However, the proposal does not specify the availability of connections for individual projects here, nor does it replace the permits and procedures required for each infrastructure project. Further details will depend on how the planning develops and on subsequent procedures.