Gando Base (Gran Canaria) (EFE).- The Gando Air Base, where nearly 1,200 Air Force personnel operate, will be one of the first Spanish bases to seek energy independence “as soon as possible” by starting up the Connected, Sustainable and Intelligent Air Bases (BACSI) program, which will combine photovoltaic and wind energy.
It is a collaboration between the Department of Ecological Transition of the Canary Islands Government and the Ministry of Defense that materializes in the contribution by the regional Executive of a subsidy of 1.7 million euros of the 3.05 budgeted for the first phase of this project, which will end in December 2024 and will serve for the construction of a photovoltaic plant and a storage system.
As explained at a press conference by the Councilor for Ecological Transition of the Canary Islands Government, José Antonio Valbuena, and the General in Chief of the Canary Islands Air Command, Juan Pablo Sánchez, the project does not yet have a fixed completion date or estimate of how much power will be will be able to install, although they hope that with the first phase of the project it will be possible to cover between 30 and 35% of the Base’s demand.
“Throughout its history, the Air Force has shown an undoubted commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment, which has been demonstrated in various actions such as the reforestation of the Gando páramo,” said the chief general, who highlighted the “corporate social responsibility” of the Army with the Canarian society, which is materialized, he said, through numerous projects related to the ecological transition.
Sánchez highlighted the “enviable” weather conditions at the base, where the sun and wind prevail, which makes it an “ideal” candidate to be one of the pioneers of BACSI.
For his part, Valbuena has indicated that, in view of the contribution that the Army makes to society, it is “fair” for the Canarian Government to “repay” its “commitment and delivery” in some way, which in this case, has indicated, They are also aligned with the objectives of decarbonising the Canary Islands in 2040, “which is not easy”.
“To comply with it, actions like this must be carried out and from the public administrations and the Armed Forces set an example for society,” said the regional councillor.
He has highlighted that it would be a milestone if the base could become totally autonomous by combining solar and wind sources, and at the same time combining “another essential element such as storage”. EFE