Several environmental groups and neighbourhood associations from Tenerife and Gran Canaria have decided to join forces against the installation of propane gas plants on both islands, as well as a diesel plant in Tenerife. Their concerns arise from the proximity of these projects to residential areas, as stated in a press release on Sunday.

The coalition, known as the Citizens’ Platform Stop Propane Plant in Salinetas, consists of Turcón-Ecologistas en Acción, the group Salto a la Transición Ecológica, and the Meclasa Neighbourhood Association, along with the Los Realejos Neighbourhood Platform (Tenerife). They met on 29 August in Telde, where DISA plans to install a propane gas plant just “200 meters from residential homes”.

Proposed Projects

The groups have warned that in Los Realejos, the plant proposed by the same company would be located less than 35 metres from houses. Additionally, another project by SAMPOL in the same municipality plans to establish a power generation plant using diesel engines around 175 meters from populated areas.

During their meeting, the platforms discussed “the necessity of creating a joint roadmap” due to the similarities in the types of facilities, the administrative processes from the plant promoters, and the basis for the objections raised by the groups regarding these installations.

Requested Meeting

They have also agreed to request a meeting with the President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo.

The locals and environmentalists believe that “less harmful and more sustainable alternatives” are essential, as well as how to halt the implementation of these infrastructures.

Corporate Justification

Companies DISA and SAMPOL, with the approval of the Canary Islands Government, justify the installation of these propane and diesel plants by citing the risk of blackouts and energy shortages in the island’s electrical system. They have overlooked the actual causes of previous blackouts, as highlighted in the statement. The proximity to residential areas violates “the most basic precautionary principle regarding manifest dangers, exposure to noise, and pollution”.

“Presenting a project of this nature to the public does not seem like an appropriate proposal,” they added, cautioning about the “high risk” it poses and its violation of European regulations on the prevention of serious accidents in industrial facilities that handle hazardous substances, whether due to leaks, fires, or explosions, particularly given the pressure and volume of the stored gas.

Environmental Impact

The groups also referenced the operation of combustion engines for electricity generation that use propane as fuel, which “would generate significant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds that would directly impact the air quality of neighbouring residential areas”.

“The installation of these propane and diesel infrastructures contradicts the ongoing decarbonisation process outlined in the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the 2030 Agenda for global action against climate change, and cannot be justified given the existence of other alternatives,” they asserted.