The dismantling of the Cepsa refinery in Santa Cruz will begin in March

The President of the Canary Islands Government, Angel Victor Torres, and the CEO of Cepsa, Maarten Wetselaar, announced yesterday (Friday) that the dismantling of the refinery at the entrance to the maritime area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will begin in March.

The first phase will take until 2025 and includes the dismantling of non-operational units and the decontamination of the soil on the site, and then the second phase will begin, which includes the transfer of the complete refinery to the port of Granadilla in the south of the island.

Finally, and through the 'Santa Cruz Verde 2030' plan, the urban regeneration of the space that occupies 500,000 square metres will begin, with the union of the downtown area of ​​the city and the neighbourhood of El Toscal.

Torres said that the Government has given the green light to the works, through the Ministry of Ecological Transition, which are being fully paid for by Cepsa, stressing that this project is "strategic" for the energy transition of the Canary Islands and the regeneration of urban spaces.

The president recognized that "it has not been easy to get to this point" but said he understands that in March the countdown begins for an action that falls squarely within the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of the Canarian Government, adding "it would be ideal for everything to be dismantled by 2030.”

In addition, he clarified that in this first phase the powers lie with the Government of the Canary Islands and the Tenerife Cabildo, but that the latter remains in the hands of the City Council, but he is convinced that all the administrations will work hand in hand for a smooth transition to the south.