- The site could only be accessed by land or sea, and sea conditions did not allow for the removal of the towers, the transformer and the cubicles. This was the last point in the Canary Islands where disused oil, introduced in the 1970s, was to be drained.
- Endesa thus advances its objectives within the path of decarbonisation of the Canary Islands by 2040.
Endesa recently carried out an unprecedented operation, having to use the services of a helicopter to remove the transformer from a transformer station located in a very difficult-to-access area in El Hierro. This facility, consisting of an old transformer placed in that area in the 70s, forms part of the project that the electricity company has been carrying out for several years. This project involves the removal of disused oils that were once used in transformer stations, with this being the last one in the Canary Islands to be dismantled.
In parallel, once the removal of the oils formerly used in transformers across the country was completed, the replacement with more modern and sustainable equipment proceeded. In total, around 150 transformers throughout the Canary archipelago have been renewed in two years. Each has an approximate cost of €15,000, meaning the renewal project in the Canary Islands has represented an investment of around €2,250,000 for Endesa.
By sea or by air
Beatriz Rafols, the head of e-Distribución, Endesa's Networks subsidiary, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, explains the situation. She notes that on several occasions they tried to carry out the removal of the transformer, the medium voltage towers and the cubicles located in what stands out, without a doubt, as the most difficult-to-access transformer station of all the islands. 'The first attempt was made by sea, but we only had the month of October available to act because it is a pebble beach, without a jetty, and where the sea hits very hard. It proved impossible for personnel safety reasons to remove the electrical equipment by sea, so the only option we had was by air.'
It was necessary to dismantle the towers and lift the transformers and cubicles at the transformer facility with e-Distribución personnel. This involved a high-precision operation by the electricity company's operators and, of course, by the personnel piloting the helicopter. It must not be forgotten that these are structures which, even when dismantled, weigh several tonnes. The helicopter deposited them in a land zone where the operators took charge of the treatment and removal of each of the electrical elements. With this complicated operation by air, Endesa in the Canary Islands finalises the operation to remove disused oil from its transformer stations.
Endesa thus advances its objectives within the path of decarbonisation of the Canary Islands by 2040. The removal of these oils, used since the 70s, and of other obsolete equipment is one of the key steps.
About Endesa
Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an integrated business model spanning electricity generation, distribution, and supply. Furthermore, the company offers value-added services focused on the electrification of energy use for households, businesses, and public administrations. Endesa is committed to the United Nations’ SDGs and corporate social responsibility. In the latter area, it also operates through the Endesa Foundation. Our team comprises around 9,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel.