Tag: #Renewables

Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

Menas Case: Foundation Siglo XXI directors allegedly filed false invoices, unrealistic expenses and repeatedly drew funds from ATMs, meant for the care of migrant children, even charging botox facial treatments and posh restaurant bills to foundation debit cards

Jun, 2023 |

A comprehensive analysis conducted by Group I of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police yielded scandalous results, writes Spanish language daily Canarias7, regarding the alleged irregular use of the public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied minors, by the suspected to have been perpetrated by centres managed by the Foundation Social Response Siglo XXI on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. In this case, driven by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, investigators discovered that the director of the Guiniguada centre charged the NGO responsible for €1,500 worth of beauty treatments and €1,113 for bills at top restaurants including Vinófilos, El Vasco de Vegueta, and Triciclo.

Centre-Right Pact Between Regionalists (CC) And Resident Conservatives (PPAV) Returns Marco Aurelio Perez As Southern Mayor

Jun, 2023 |

The conservative Partido Popular-Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) and the right of centre regionalist Coalición Canaria (CC) have this Thursday signed a local government pact that will shape the future of the southern Gran Canaria tourism municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The alliance, dubbed a “Pact for Stability and Socioeconomic Progress of San Bartolomé Tirajana”, represents 60% of the votes cast in the municipality’s recent local elections, emphasised the mayor-elect, Marco Aurelio Pérez (PP-AV), who returns for the third time to lead the local council responsible for some of the most important tourism areas on the island, including Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and San Agustín.

Local Government Coalition Agreement Maspalomas and the South of Gran Canaria

Jun, 2023 |

A governing coalition pact has been finalised in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The Popular Party–Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) conservative residents party is to join forces with regionalist centre-right Coalición Canaria (CC) to govern the main tourist municipality on Gran Canaria for the next four years. Marco Aurelio Pérez will serve as mayor for the entire four-year term, and the Popular Party will take charge of Employment, Sports, Roads and Infrastructure, and Human Resources, among other areas. The regionalists, led by Alejandro Marichal, will oversee Urban Planning, Economy and Finance, and Tourism as their main departments.

Storm Óscar Latest: Government of the Canary Islands Declares Rain Alert for Western Islands and Gran Canaria

Jun, 2023 |

A storm system, dubbed Óscar, has formed over the last few days over the mid-north Atlantic, unusual for this time of year, and has led to concern from meteorologists and journalists as it passes south of the Azores, its tail should reach The Canary Islands, before the system heads northeast towards mainland Spain. Advisory warnings have been issued in expectation of heavy rainfall, primarily in the Western Isles of the Canary Islands Archipelago, though some rainfall is also expected to reach Gran Canaria over the next couple of days. It seems unlikely that any major consequences will stem from the bad weather, however these things can be unpredictable and so every precaution is taken to ensure people are informed and kept safe.

Foundation Investigated for Alleged Mismanagement of Public Funds Meant for Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Minors

Jun, 2023 |

The 7th Investigative Court of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has opened a preliminary investigation into the Social Response Foundation Siglo XXI and four of its directors. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Las Palmas filed a complaint against them, alleging crimes that could include forgery of commercial documents, mismanagement, and embezzlement of public funds. The investigation aims to determine whether this nonprofit organisation, and its officials, could have misused public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, during the migration crisis of 2020 that was precipitated by the pandemic confinement on the islands, leading to a build up of arrivals having to be assessed and cared for by the Canary Islands Regional Government, using hotels left empty due to the lack of tourism. The estimated amount involved in the alleged misuse stands at around €12.5 million between 2020 and 2022 on Gran Canaria alone.

“Shopping with soul for people who buy with the heart” The Market, Puerto Rico opens on the 31st of January

Jan, 2019 | Business, Mogán

The Market Puerto Rico is the new, fresh, concept commercial centre opening to the public on January 31 2019.
This much anticipated new space in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria aim to offer something very different by way of commercial spaces, they say, “led by gastronomy and food, with a varied range of organic produce.”
This is to be the first full-time “Food Market” on the south of Gran Canaria, to define itself through providing fresh produce daily.
26 businesses will operate from the new leisure and shopping centre “where quality, innovation and the most creative offerings prevail.”
The Market aims itself at being a “place to find the unexpected.” Doing things differently, creatively, and uniquely is, they say, what will set them apart and help them to stand out with “an authentic formula of doing, of trying, of being …”
They are committed to a new responsible business model. A relationship based on transparency. A shopping centre involved with its surroundings, utilising efficient and sustainable architecture.
If one thing defines them, they say, it is their “love of fresh produce, of the land, each faithful to its season and its naturalness.” They aim to take full advantage of the resources that this privileged area of the island can offer.
“Shopping with soul for people who buy with the heart.”
Primary characteristics:
The Market Puerto Rico wish to promote the following values:

Slow Shopping: To be enjoyed without watching the clock. Turning each shopping moment into a life event, by creating experiences that make each moment special.
Slow Food: Not eating, but “deifying”. Worshipping yourself starting on the palate, with offerings that promote quality and health in every bite.
Fresh Attitude: a philosophy, that different attitude, a fresh, healthy lifestyle … A moment, a flavor, an experience that adds to the rest of your life.
Naturalness: Handmade by professionals, without preservatives or dyes. Attaching importance to the hands that create quality produce and services.
Sustainability: Green is their colour promoting actions that help to extend the life of the planet. Taking sustainable advantage of resources to promote efficiency.
Responsibility: Taking care of the environment by incorporating integrated gardens within the very structure of the building that surprise at first sight and that reflect life inside and life on the outside.

In summary, say The Market Puerto Rico, their new concept shopping environment is the only alternative on Gran Canaria offering responsible consumption in tune with the environment, with a unique selection of products and ecological (organic) foods of the highest quality.
“The only commercial space with Fresh Attitude.”

Source: Alegría on Gran Canaria: The Market Puerto Rico opens on the 31st

Welcome to the Future: Gran Canaria announce grants for solar panels

Apr, 2018 | Business, Cabildo, Education, Environment, Government, News

The Cabildo de Gran Canaria will agree subsidies for the first time for the installation of photovoltaic panels on homes and industrial buildings, according to the Minister of Energy, Raúl García Brink, during a conference he recently gave as part of the III Jornadas sobre Cooperación y Desarrollo de la Real Sociedad Económica Amigos del País de Gran Canaria.
With amounts ranging up to €200,000 the project is part of the measures adopted by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria to promote the penetration of renewable energy for self-consumption, added the counsellor, who noted that the call will be published most likely in May and that the Cabildo will inform the population of the regulations and requirements to benefit from this “push” for individuals to install solar panels.
The objective “is to promote self-consumption (auto-consumo) at a particular level and photovoltaics is a great opportunity because here we have enormous possibilities and the development we have is still small,” said the counsellor.
The counsellor, at the conference ‘The Cabildo de Gran Canaria facing the challenges of the XXI’, recalled that the island institution approved the Strategic Plan of Grants for the realisation of studies of energy efficiency in November and encourage the use of alternative energy for individuals and companies along with other actions aimed at minimising the impact of climate change and achieving maximum energy sovereignty through renewable energies.
The great transformations, he said, arise with the sum of other smaller ones, from the institutions, but also from each home. In addition, the Cabildo launched in 2016 the Climate Action Group made up of independent scientists, the two Canarian universities, the ITC (Canarian Institute of Technology) and several environmental organisations with the aim that civil society can work and contributein the definition and development of climate change actions.
The Insular Council of Energy, created in the current mandate, has a budget of more than two million euros this year, and coordinates the pact of Mayors that brings together 15 municipalities on the island that are involved in the development of plans of action for climate and sustainable energy with the help of a dozen engineers trained to do so. It is also in the process of preparing a diagnosis of risks, vulnerabilities and adaptation to climate change in Gran Canaria. The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

The Cabildo has also signed an agreement with Involcan to analyse the evolution of Gran Canaria’s geothermal potential through field work and to determine the electric power generation system that would be most optimal for the island. More than 3,500 points have already been analysed and before the end of the year there will be conclusions after an investment of half a million euros.
García Brink detailed other actions such as the electric vehicle recharging network in 17 municipalities of the island, in addition to the celebration of the second Movelec Fair in Infecar on 27 and 28 April on this type of car.
The Cabildo also promotes wind farms on land they own, such as the environmental complex of Juan Grande, which will be put out to tender this year for two more megawatts, in addition to another planned in Agüimes. On the other hand, the Infecar car parks will host a photovoltaic plant for self-consumption of 94.5 kWp, in addition to the 36 kilowatts auto-consumo plant that has already gone out to tender for the central park of the insular institution.

The Society for Economic Development is also a participant in the actions to face the new century with the Smart Island programs, including an early detection system for fire points, as well as incident and emergency management, a project monitoring and control water network and water leaks and the third already tendered for intelligent screens for public transport.

Welcome to the future…

The largest photovoltaic plant in Gran Canaria will produce clean energy in the north from March

Jan, 2018 | Environment, News, politics

The largest photovoltaic facility to have been built on Gran Canaria will be operational by March of 2018 say the Cabildo, and will prevent more than 320 tons of CO2 from being discharged into the atmosphere. In addition, it is the first publicly owned solar plant to be built on the island, as it is the result of a collaboration between the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Commonwealth of the North and the Town Council of Gáldar.
The project has a budget of €770,000 contributed by the Cabildo through its [commonwealth] Cooperation Plan with the Mancomunidades, in this case the Mancomunidad del Norte, whose ten mayors agreed unanimously to back this important environmental project to construct in partnership with the municipal council of Gáldar, a 10,000 square meter ‘Parque Tecnológico del Norte‘, of which 5,000 square meters will be occupied by this installation.
The energy produced will be fed into the main island network and will generate an estimated income of €70,000 annually for the Mancomunidad (Commonwealth), and research is also contemplated into various other types of power generation including a study of the park’s proximity to the sea.
The president of the Cabildo, Antonio Morales, underlined together with Minister of Institutional Cooperation, Carmelo Ramírez, and Minister of Energy, Raúl García Brink, that the island government has launched its ‘Transforma Plan’, an ambitious road map of works, funded by an investment of €456 million that includes the €18 million annual Cooperation Plan with the Municipal Councils and, for the first time, with the Mancomunidades, which will receive €1 million per year.
Last year the Commonwealth of the North allocated this amount to energy savings and efficiency projects, “probably the biggest revolution in terms of achieving lower consumption and pollution,” Morales said, “and this year goes a step further and contributes to Cabildo’s aim for an eco-island in which renewable energies play a fundamental role, and also sets an example to other institutions. ”
Morales emphasised that, in addition to generating clean power and contributing to the fight against climate change, this is a highly competitive energy source, as solar power costs about €80 per megawatt hour compared to the €200 it costs to produce electricity from petroleum, so much so that countries like Germany and the United Kingdom, with many hours less of solar radiation, have strongly opted for this option in recent years.
The president of the Mancomunidad del Norte, Pedro Rodríguez, described the start of the works as “magnificent news” for the environment and for the economic benefits, because the €70,000 a year saving will revert directly back to the north of the island.
More than 1,600 modules
The plant will have 1,674 photovoltaic modules with a power of 452 kilowatts, although it has the capacity to grow up to 1,850 modules and provide 500 kilowatts of power.
All in all they expect to initially generate enough electricity equivalent to powering 150 homes.