Geothermal drilling work has started in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Drilling of a geothermal exploration well has started in Tenerife in the Canary Islands of Spain, targeting a 150 °C resource at 3000 meters depth.
Drilling operations have officially started for a geothermal well at the municipality of Vilaflor in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. The well is being drilled at one of the research sites located in the south of the island that have indicate geothermal potential based on surface studies done in 2024.
The update was given during a media event by Mariano Zapata, Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, noting that studies indicate a probability of more than 60% that the site being drilled will yield thermal waters at temperatures of at least 150 °C. The Minister also noted that the islands of Tenerfie, La Palma, and Gran Canaria have received subsidies for geothermal exploration totaling more than EUR 100 million from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Savings (IDAE).
The geothermal project in Tenerife is being executed by Energía Geotérmica de Canarias (EGC), a company formed by Icelandic company Reykjavík Geothermal, together with the energy company DISA, 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 company was formally established in May 2025.
Marriot Drilling has been contracted to provide borehole rig services for the project through Soluciones Geotérmicas Integradas, who is the main contractor for the geothermal exploration drilling campaign.
According to a previous update given by Juan José Martínez, the Innovation Councilor for the Tenerife Island Council, drilling operations are expected to last four or five months. The Council also expressed confidence in investing on the geothermal project, thanks to the involvement of an Icelandic company as a technical partner. “This provides us with indications and possibilities of success in the search,” he remarked.
Source: Atlantico Hoy, Tiempo de Canarias, El Dia, and Marriott Drilling Group via LinkedIn
