The Government recently announced the expansion of the special program in the Canary and Balearic archipelagos. This plan, which seeks accelerate the implementation of renewable energy on the islandsyou will receive a financial boost of 700 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) and it will spread until 2027. This economic injection from European funds seeks to radically transform the energy landscape of both regions to promote their leadership in the use and development of clean energy both inside and outside the country.
The decision, revealed by the third vice president and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, responds directly to requests from island governments. The objective is grant an additional year for the “proper execution” of the funds, which also guarantees the achievement of “concrete milestones” in the field of clean energy in these territories. This move not only underlines the Government's commitment to the energy transition but also puts the islands in the center of innovation and energy sustainability.
The program, divided into an allocation of 467 million for the Canary Islands and 233 million for the Balearic Islandsis designed for revolutionize the island energy panorama. One of its fundamental pillars is to significantly increase energy self-consumption to achieve a multiplication by ten of its current capacity. In addition, it is intended that by 2026, both archipelagos will be fully equipped to withstand the electric mobilitywhich will mark a milestone in the transition towards a greener future.
Innovation and technological development
In addition to these initiatives, the program proposes address other crucial aspects for the energy transition in the archipelagos. One of the first order objectives is the economic recovery and transformation through the promotion of renewable energies, renewable hydrogen and storage solutions. This comprehensive approach not only seeks to encourage the adoption of clean energy, but also develop technology, knowledge, industrial capabilities and new business models in the field of renewable energies.
The commitment to economic recovery and transformation through renewable hydrogen and storage reflects the Spanish government's understanding that the transition towards a sustainable energy model not only requires the adoption of new technologies, but also the creation of an ecosystem conducive to its development and application. In this sense, the archipelagos are positioned as living innovation laboratorieswhere new solutions can be experienced and the capabilities necessary to lead the global energy transition will be cultivated.
Despite the unique challenges that they face, such as space limitation and the need for efficient storage systems that can compensate for the intermittency of sources such as sun and windthe Government's commitment and investment in the project reflect confidence in overcoming these obstacles and establishing a model to follow.