The replacement of these towers represents the upgrading and improvement of the Jinámar - Buenavista 66kV line, one of the main electricity supply lines to the capital of Gran Canaria, and of the set of the electricity transmission facilities concentrated near the Jinámar power station, which makes it necessary to carry out certain improvements in the Jinámar substation.

The planned works consist of the replacement of the first 4 towers of the Jinámar -Buenavista 66kV double circuit line with new ones, upgraded to Red Eléctrica’s standards, with a budget of approximately €400,000.

The replacement of the towers and the worn elements in the area encompasses both the design and installation of the new towers as well as the upgrading and strengthening of their anchorage points.

Dismantling works and the hoisting of the towers will be performed with heavy duty cranes during a forecasted period of eight days, and will be carried out next to the GC1 and GC3 highways; therefore all the necessary permits have been requested from the relevant authorities. REE acknowledges the collaboration of the Ministry of Employment, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Highways Department of the Gran Canaria Council and the City Council of the capital city, which has been key to the good outcome of these works.

The works will contribute to improving the quality and security of the electricity supply in the metropolitan area, which is approximately 25% of this electricity system and which is fed from the Jinámar substation.

The MAR project schedules those activities that are necessary to upgrade the lines and substations on the Canary Islands to the quality standards of Red Eléctrica de España’s assets, resolve any weaknesses of the transmission grid, integrate the acquired assets into the control systems of Red Eléctrica, and implement a maintenance plan tailored to the special characteristics of the Canary Island’s electricity system.

The new El Sabinal substation

Furthermore, in order to minimise the vulnerability and criticality of this area, REE plans to construct a new electricity substation outside the Jinámar power station that will be called Sabinal, and its associated lines which will serve as a distribution/concentration hub that will split the Jinámar hub. The project has an estimated budget of €23.13 million.

These facilities are essential to improve the security of the electricity supply and reduce the concentration of risks that currently exists in this area, owing to the fact that the Jinámar 66 kV substation, located in the Jinámar thermal power station, is the switchyard that has the largest number of bay positions (37) within the Spanish electricity system. Additionally, nearly half of the installed generation of Gran Canaria’s electricity system is evacuated to this switchyard and, moreover, the supply to the northern and metropolitan areas depends on it. In addition, practically all the evacuation lines from this substation run, for the first few kilometres, along the same corridor; all of them crossing over the highway at the gateway to the capital. This implies a highly vulnerable hub which is of a critical nature.

Therefore, the construction of these facilities along with the works of the MAR project will represent essential improvements for the electricity supply to the metropolitan area and the northern part of the island, reducing the number of lines that leave the Jinámar power station and cross over the highway.

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