El Hierro is currently the only island in the world to achieve such a feat. The 1.1 million-year-old island is reportedly on track to become 100% self-sufficient in clean energy thanks to wind and water.

The Gorona del Viento hydroelectric plant is the island’s main source of electricity, providing power to around 11,000 residents. The plant takes advantage of the island’s topography, combining lakes at different elevations to generate hydroelectric power and wind power from the Atlantic Ocean.

The power plant works by harnessing energy from industrial wind turbines, built into the hillside. On windy days, excess power from the 11.5 megawatt (MW) wind farm helps pump fresh water from a small reservoir near the island's harbor to a larger basin in a volcanic crater about 700m above sea level.

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Hydroelectric power plant lake.

Water from the upper reservoir will be released into the basin below the hydroelectric plant, generating electricity for homes, businesses and a desalination plant.

Before the power plant came online in 2014, the island used thousands of tons of imported diesel fuel each year to generate power. While El Hierro maintains a backup fuel supply in case of power outages, the island has made great strides in transitioning to green energy sources.

The power plant broke a world record in July and August 2019, providing El Hierro with clean electricity for nearly 25 days. The recent record of 28 days is a major step towards self-sufficiency in clean energy for the island.

The Gorona del Viento power plant reportedly reduces planet-warming pollution by nearly 25,000 tons and saves nearly 7,500 tons of diesel fuel each year. With plans to install solar power by 2050, the power plant aims to further cut pollution and increase renewable energy production.

Before it went online in 2014, renewable energy provided just 2.2% of El Hierro’s electricity needs. The island first experimented with running solely on renewable energy in 2015, when it ran the entire island on renewable energy alone for two hours.

The global climate is changing for the worse, so it is important to continue deploying renewable energy sources, said Santiago Miguel González, CEO of Gorona del Viento. The only way to reduce climate change is to stop releasing toxic substances into the atmosphere.

Any profits made from using renewable energy sources are invested back into more efficient water distribution systems, solar panels and education programs.

El Hierro is recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Geopark. The island's residents and authorities have jointly committed to protecting the island's sustainable development.

According to Euronews

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