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1492
Pre Columbus
The island was considered the most wester point of land on Earth before Columbus sailed past. While no longer the edge of Earth’s landmass, it is an island relying on clean energy. -
Old Power source
Before El Hierro relied on Gorona del Viento, a hybrid power station built on the southeastern part of the island, that generates energy using both wind and water, it relied on generators fueled by diesel brought by boat from one of the other Canary Islands. These diesel generators also consumed 6,600 tons of diesel fuel. -
First energy-independent island in the world
El Hierro has worked steadily at becoming the first energy-independent island in the world that is powered only by renewable energy sources. When a country is able to produce enough of its own fuel to meet its own demands, then it is referred to as being energy independent. -
Repsol permission to drill
The Spanish Minister of Industry gave the multinational oil company Repsol permission to drill three exploratory deep-water perforations in the ocean near the Canary Islands. If a spill was ever to occur the marine life living near would be destroyed. A human complaint was the drilling noise that makes life impossible for many of the water species of whales and dolphins who depend on sound to communicate, navigate, feed, and, breed. This is why many of the people on El Hierro protested. -
The Gorona del Viento Power Plant
Today, the island has a closed loop wind and water system called the Gorona del Viento. The closed loop system is a set of mechanical or electronic devices that regulate automatically the desired set without human interaction. Made up of two water reservoirs and 5 windmills this power plant runs on green power and emits no CO2 making it a clean benefit to the ecosystem.
