Tenerife announces public tender for geothermal research programs

Playa de Tenerife, Spain (source: Alquiler de Coches, creative commons)

The Government of the Canary Islands through the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce has announced a public tender for the selection of geothermal resource research programs applicable to a series of lands on the island of Tenerife. A similar tender for the island of La Palma is expected to be announced soon.

Details on the public tender are available on the official tender document (in Spanish). Requests for participation may be made through the electronic platform of the Government of the Canary Islands accessible via this link.

The public tender comes after an order by the Ministry dated 2 January 2023 to make public the extension of land corresponding to expired permits on the island of Tenerife. This order cover 3089 mining grids corresponding to about 1035 square kilometers of land.

There have been several efforts in the last decade to explore and characterize the geothermal resources in Tenerife, including a series of geochemical surveys in 2014 and an MT survey in 2012. Geothermal work in Tenerife has languished for several years, but the Government of the Canary Islands had recently announced funding for geothermal exploration and research in high-potential islands including Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Palma.

Source: Gobierno de Canarias