Opposition to Wind Farms in Agache
E. D.
Carmen Luisa Castro, the Mayor of Güímar, along with her government team, communicated their opposition to the construction of the El Pilón I and El Pilón II wind farms in Agache to the Ecomarca Platform. This was discussed during a meeting held late yesterday. “At every moment, they firmly supported the collective and opposed the execution of this project,” stated Hiurma Rodríguez, the spokesperson for the group. The mayor confirmed her stance: “I do not want an Arico; I reject this wind farm. What I want is a hydroelectric plant.”
The Ecomarca Platform for the Defence and Protection of Southeast Tenerife raised concerns with the local government, stating that the wind farm project poses a threat to the natural and cultural heritage of the Malpaís de Güímar, the Agache region, and the Barranco de Herques, all of which are part of the Natura 2000 network. They highlighted that the project violates current urban and environmental regulations, such as the Land Law and the general planning rules for Fasnia and Güímar. It is also expected to have severe impacts on biodiversity, the landscape, and the health of local residents due to noise, light pollution, massive earth movements, and the lack of repowering and use of existing parks, contradicting energy and environmental strategies for the Canary Islands.
Informing the Public
The Platform requested the support of the Güímar City Council to organise training sessions aimed at informing citizens about the ecological and heritage richness of the area, as well as the potential damages resulting from the installation of a wind farm in the Agache region. They also plan to reach out to the Fasnia City Council in order to host these sessions inter-municipally.
The Platform, which is still awaiting a response to the objections submitted, hopes that these actions “will contribute to an informed public debate and the effective protection of the natural and cultural heritage of southeast Tenerife”.
Political Management
The meeting held yesterday (originally scheduled for last Saturday) was attended by five members of the Ecomarca Platform, the Mayor of Güímar, Carmen Luisa Castro, and councillors Francisco del Rosario, Carlos Llarena, José Miguel Hernández, and Socorro González.
The Mayor offered to act as a mediator with the Government of the Canary Islands in order to convey to President Fernando Clavijo and the Minister for Ecological Transition Mariano H. Zapata the arguments justifying her rejection of the placement of these wind farms in Agache.
Mayor Castro’s Explanation
Carmen Luisa Castro explained to the Platform that they have “never supported the construction of the wind farms” and clarified that during the full council meeting on 21 April, they voted against a report whose contents they did not fully understand. They were not given the opportunity to present objections, the matter was addressed on the last day of the deadline, and “we were very upset by the manner of the municipal government” at that time.
The Mayor stressed that “we want clean energy, but not in this way”. Castro pointed to Arico, where wind and solar installations are proliferating, asserting that she does not want the same situation to occur in her municipality.
In addition to clarifying that the authority to authorise the wind farm does not lie with the municipal government, Carmen Luisa Castro explained that Güímar missed the opportunity to be decisive in opposing this project “by not doing what Fasnia did, which was to take a clear political stance to full council in those terms”.
Wind Farms Overview
DISA Energía Renovable, SLU is promoting the construction of the El Pilón I wind farm, featuring 15 megawatts and four wind turbines, and the El Pilón II wind farm, with 8.5 megawatts and two wind turbines. These developments will take place across 181 plots located in Fasnia and Güímar. To evacuate the energy they produce, the installation of 24 towers is planned, extending to the slopes of Güímar, where the layout will be underground until it connects with the substation in the Valle de Güímar Industrial Estate. The total investment is estimated at 22.3 million euros (14.3 million for El Pilón I and 8 million for El Pilón II).
