First geothermal drilling in Tenerife, Canary Islands to begin by Fall 2025
The Teide volcano on Tenerife, one of the largest volcanoes in the world (source: Reykjavik Geothermal)
Carlo Cariaga
23 May 2025
Drilling of the first exploration geothermal well in Tenerife, Canary Islands will begin by the coming fall, through a partnership of Icelandic and local organizations.
Geothermal drilling will be carried out for the first in the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands beginning the coming fall. The project will be executed by Energía Geotérmica de Canarias (EGC), a company formed by Icelandic company Reykjavík Geothermal, together with the energy company DISA, the largest company in the Canary Islands, and the government of Tenerife through the public companies Technological Institute and Renewable Energies (Instituto Tecnológico y Energías Renovables / ITER) and the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan).
The formal establishment of the EGC took place with a signing ceremony in Santa Cruz, Tenerife held on the 23rd of May 2025.
The boreholes will be drilled to depths of between 2500 to 3000 meters, with the objective of confirming the viability of using geothermal energy in the island as clean, stable, and local energy source.
Geothermal exploration licenses were awarded to EGC and ITER following a tender in late 2024. Exploration drilling of several sites in western and southern Tenerife was then approved by the Government of the Canary Islands earlier this year. Notably, geothermal exploration licenses in La Palma were also awarded to EGC at the same tender round.
Geothermal as an ideal renewable energy source for Tenerife
Geothermal exploration takes place in the context of the island’s increasingly urgent need for sustainable and affordable energy. Today, over 80% of Tenerife’s electricity production comes from imported oil. Such an arrangement is both environmentally harmful and extremely expensive, and the Spanish state has to subsidize the energy costs for the island’s inhabitants and, indeed, for all of the Canary Islands.
Since it is neither possible to harness hydroelectric power on the island nor is there room to build more large wind and solar power plants, which take up about ten times more land space than comparable geothermal power plants, the use of geothermal energy is gaining increasing importance in the future plans of the island’s authorities.
Research indicates favorable conditions
Surface surveys carried out in 2024 showed promising indications of geothermal energy in the southern and western parts of the island. Final administrative authorization from the Canary Islands authorities is now awaited to begin drilling, but the drilling project has already been put out to tender.
If the drilling proves successful, it is expected that the development of geothermal power plants could become an important addition to Tenerife’s energy supply, contributing to the energy exchange on the island and thus significantly reducing the use of imported oil.
Support from Icelandic expertise
Reykjavík Geothermal is joining the project as both owner and technical leader. The company has extensive experience in developing geothermal projects around the world and is now using that expertise to support the first step in utilizing geothermal energy in Tenerife.
“This project is based on the experience, knowledge and belief of us Icelanders in geothermal energy as a sustainable energy source, and could completely change the situation for energy production in Tenerife. The trust that our partners in the project place in us is a great recognition of Icelandic ingenuity and expertise in the field of geothermal energy and an honor for us,” says Magnús Ásbjörnsson, CEO of Reykjavik Geothermal.
Source: Email correspondence
