Entries Tagged 'Tenerife' ↓

Sadly the British press is all too keen to highlight the down side of Tenerife but there are some exciting cutting edge projects that don’t get the praise they deserve. Just this weekend a village of 25 self sufficient bioclimatic houses was inaugurated at ITER in Granadilla. This is the first of its kind in the world and www.canarygreen.net was there to cover the event.

The project was initiated 14 years ago and attracted 397 entrants from 38 countries, since then the planning and development has taken place largely unnoticed by many visitors to this holiday island. ITER (the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy) is best known for the towering wind turbines alongside the TF1 motorway, just past the south airport. That is just one aspect of the amazing scientific work that goes on at the 400,000 square metre site. One of the largest fields of working solar panels in the world feeds into the Tenerife grid, a water park studies ways to utilise wave power, and a wind chamber studies wind power and is also used by sports companies to explore aerodynamics.

The Canary Islands are in a unique position to experience the good and bad of weather systems so it seems only natural to build knowledge from these to benefit everyone. ITER is also home to one of the most respected seismic teams in the world, they not only monitor Mount Teide but are frequently summoned to volcanic hot spots around the globe to offer their expertise. This is no secret research base, ITER are committed to sharing their knowledge among the scientific community and also welcome visitors to their coastal base.

If you want to join a tour of ITER you can pre arrange it by calling 922391000 or go to the website www.iter.es. If you want to keep up with environmental issues around the Canary Islands keep an eye on www.canarygreen.net

 

View more photos on Canary Pr Flickr Account

The Cabildo de Tenerife’s Department of Roads has announced that all access road to Teide will remain closed to traffic over the weekend due to not only the risk of fresh frost, snow and ice but also the weather forecast issued by the Spanish Met Office which forecasts the approach of a new   depression that will affect the island tomorrow afternoon [Saturday 20th].

The Island Government has adopted this precautionary measure to guarantee public safety.

Currently the other roads closed to traffic are the TF-21 and the TF-24 at kilometre 24 and one lane of the TF-111 road (Santa Cruz-La Cuesta via Los Campitos) due to the damage caused by the last storm on 1st February.

For updates see the Cabildo’s web: http://www.diariodetenerife.info/

Key element of ALiX telecommunications project

The laying of the foundation stone of the data centre Napwaci is an essential element of the ALiX, Project, which the Cabildo is backing to improve Tenerife’s competitive edge by developing Information and Communications Technology (ITC) infrastructure and increasing the island’s internal and external connectivity. The NAPWACI will serve as a point of concentration and distribution for this connectivity plus the infrastructure for a data centre for ITC companies interested in competing on international markets or trading with West Africa from a European Union territorial base.

A high availability data centre such as the NAPWACI is made up of a set of hi-tech infrastructures – building, electronic systems, air conditioning, security etc.- designed to house the electronic systems that ITC companies need to carry out all or part of their commercial activities with the highest environmental guarantees for electricity supply, security and resistance to adverse weather phenomenon.

The NAPWACI data centre is currently under construction at the site of the Cabildo’s Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER) in the municipality of Granadilla. Its location, adjacent to the Parque Científico y Tecnológico, will be vital as a mooring port for submarine cables due to its proximity to the coast and it will also serve as a satellite tele port due to its south facing position and latitude. The site also boasts a large variety of available energy sources both conventional as well as wind and solar power.

The first building stage of the NAPWACI will feature a photovoltaic plant of 400kW, which will cover the entire roof. The building’s design not only meets the strictest efficiency and modular requirements but it also maximises the efficiency of the solar energy plant on the roof because it has been designed with optimum orientation and gradient for photovoltaic energy production.

The building will be constructed in modules, each having a capacity of up to 1,500 sq metres cuadrados of ITC technical romos and 1,200 sq metres of multi purpose space which can be adapted according to demand to house both the electronic equipment of the different  telecommunications operators and technical staff of the companies based at the NAP (NAP stands for Neutral Network Access Point).

NAPWACI is much more than a high availability data centre. Because it is a totally neutral infrastructure open to any telecommunications operator, it is attractive as a site for  interconnecting the trunk infrastructures of international telecommunications companies –submarines cables, satellite-,  to interconnect their networks and free exchange traffic with each other without having to depend on intermediaries.

The setting up of a point for free exchange of telecommunications traffic in Tenerife will not only benefit the Island and the rest of the Canaries but also the countries on the West African coast because it will reduce the costs for connectivity as it will permit a more efficient channelling of telecommunications traffic, principally on the routes between developing West African and Latin American countries. On the other hand, the presence of a brand new access point where data exchange will be free and neutral will introduce an additional factor for the liberalisation of the telecommunications market in West Africa. This in turn will improve the connectivity situation and help the region to develop.

In order to act more efficiently as a point for free exchange of traffic, as a neutral access point the NAPWACI will house different submarine cable stations. One of them is  Canalink, an initiative of the firm IslaLink and the Instituto Tecnológico de Telecomunicaciones de Tenerife (IT3) to develop a system of submarine cables which will increase the competitive conditions of the submarine telecommunications between Tenerife and mainland Spain as well as between Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma. To cover the demand in the short term, African and Latin American cables will be set up as well as satellite operators currently operating over Africa.

Eventually NAPWACI will be connected to the rest of the Island through the insular ring of de fibre optics which the Cabildo de Tenerife is developing in an open access system for all telecommunications operators so that companies and homes on Tenerife will be able to benefit from better connectivity (telephone, internet etc.) around the island thanks to the NAP.

The NAPWACI is scheduled to be operative in the first quarter of  2011, the year in which the new telecommunications infrastructures are due to start and this will greatly increase Tenerife’s connectivity with the rest of the world.

Work is continuing to restore all essential public services affected by the storm in coordination with the local councils

The Cabildo de Tenerife has officially ended the state of emergency activated due to the storm as of 08.00 hours today [Friday 19], following the announcement that the orange alert declared because of adverse weather phenomenon, which has been affecting Tenerife since Tuesday 16th February, has been lifted by the regional government’s Department of Safety & Emergencies (Dirección General de Seguridad y Emergencia del Gobierno de Canarias).

Also, taking into account the weather forecast for Tenerife issued by the Spanish Met Office (la Agencia Estatal de Meteorología), the Island Government has now ceased operations under the Island Emergency Plan (PEIN), although work is still continuing to restore public services to normal.

This measures means that the Cabildo’s Plan Insular de Emergencias de Protección Civil and the presidential crisis cabinet are now officially deactivated but teams are still working in coordination with the local councils to ensure that all essential public services affected by the storm are restored as soon as possible.

Currently, the island’s roads are all operative except the Teide access roads due to heavy snow and one lane of the TF-111 road (Santa Cruz-La Cuesta via Los Campitos) is still closed due to damage cause by the heavy rainstorm of 1st February. Travel to the Teide National Park is not recommended.

In the 40 hours since Tenerife’s Island Emergency Plan for Civil Protection was activated, major activity has been concentrated in the municipalities in the South and West of the island and the Metropolitan Area (Santa Cruz-La Laguna). Tenerife’s Fire Brigade Consortium has carried out almost 300 operations, principally in districts in Santa Cruz and Granadilla. During the emergency the Cabildo deployed a team of 900 emergency workers and 200 vehicles to deal with urgent cases.

More information on the Cabildo’s web: http://www.diariodetenerife.info/

Prevention phase activated of Island’s Territorial Emergency Plan

The Cabildo de Tenerife is recommending schools to close and for the general public to avoid unnecessary travel in the wake of the alert situation announced by the Dirección de Seguridad y Emergencias of the Gobierno de Canarias due to adverse weather conditions or Fenómeno Meteorológico Adverso. The Cabildo is officially authorised under the Plan Territorial Insular de Emergencias (PEIN), to announce the activation of the preventative phase of the Island Emergency Plan.

The Cabildo has now activated the Preventative Phase of the Island’s Emergency Plan and recommends the public to adopt the following safety measures:

Firstly – It proposes cancellation of all school classes as well as avoidance of unnecessary travel during the whole of today Monday 1st February 2010.

Secondly – Due to heavy rain forecast and any flooding it might cause, the Cabildo has issued the following advice:

-Stay calm and remain in your home but be on the alert if it is situated in or near the riverbed of a gorge or in any other place of risk.

-As very heavy rain is forecast, please pay attention to the advice and information given by Protección Civil in the local press, radio and on TV

-Avoid travelling by car during heavy rainfall, unless it is absolutely necessary. Drive with extreme caution and pay special attention to the depth of any water you have to cross, reduce your speed and be very careful when braking. If your vehicle starts to flood, you should abandon it.

-Try to drive only on main roads and motorways and avoid forest tracks and minor roads. Use higher gears when possible.

-Do not cross a bridge if the water level has risen and water is flowing over the bridge.

-Never (even in summer) camp in flood risk sites: river beds of gorges etc.

-Stay away from the underground floors of your home which may flood including garages, cellars etc.

-Never use the lift. The electricity supply may fail at any time.

-Disconnect your electricity supply at the mains.

-If you are flooded, leave your home immediately and head for a higher place or go where the rescue services send you.

-If you are trapped on the upper floor of your home by flood water, do not try to swim as the current could sweep you away. Wait for assistance.

-Do not overestimate your strength, be cautious and if necessary, wait for the rescue services.

-Always have a battery powered radio set switched on and follow the instructions broadcast by the relevant authorities on the television and radio

-Avoid using the telephone to prevent the lines being engaged.

-In case of an emergency, please dial 112.

Thirdly- This preventative statement will be updated in the next few hours depending on the weather conditions.

The public is advised not to use other access roads to the National Park because of risk of icy patches

Due to hail and icy patches, the Cabildo de Tenerife’s Department of Roads has issued a traffic warning.

The island government has closed the TF-21 road to traffic because of hail. The road is blocked from kilometres 34 to 53, which means access to Teide via La Esperanza is cut between Boca Tauce and El Portillo. Access to the National Park is not recommended using the other roads either particularly in shady areas first thing in the morning and late afternoon due to the low temperatures.

Today the Cabildo’s road maintenance service, Servicio de Conservación de Carreteras, has been removing earth and rocks from some of the island’s roads caused by minor mudslides but none of these roads has been closed to traffic.

We all know how special Tenerife is, but with many old misconceptions still alive, and some visitors memories rooted in holidays taken years ago, it’s vital to show potential holiday makers just how much Tenerife has to offer. Looks like a job for the British Guild of Travel Writers, and with their prestigious annual assembly taking place in Tenerife from Tuesday 26 January to Friday 29 January, government agency Turismo de Tenerife are pulling out all the stops to impress them.

What a welcome the 107 strong party got, something green, rural, fascinating and good to eat. The journalists were taken to the banana plantation and packing plant in Fañabe to see the islands famous export at close range, and to sample the fine food in the restaurant. It’s just the start of a packed programme that will see them tackling Teide, following the footsteps of Agatha Christie in Puerto de la Cruz, getting to grips with Carnaval preparations in Santa Cruz, whale watching, and tasting the best of Canarian gastronomy.

Each seed of interest sewn should blossom outward through the pages and screens of such media outlets as the BBC, CNN, The Times, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Independent, The Observer, Vogue, France Magazine, Italia!, Sky Travel, Hotels.com, and AOL Travel.

The British love affair with Tenerife is still strong but with the help of this fact finding trip, a whole new generation of holiday fans could be flocking to see for themselves the wonders and comforts of Tenerife.

A walk along the seafront in Tenerife always makes you feel good, but on Sunday 13 December, over 2,000 people will converge on Playa de Las Americas to boost the fight against breast cancer.

North and south, young and old, male and female, British and Spanish will come together wearing pink , as they walk the 3.5 kms from Mediterranean Palace to Sal Y Tien to raise money and awareness. Last year 20,000 euros were pledged, this time there is just the one walk on the island and coaches will ferry volunteers down from Santa Cruz to add their weight to the cause. Two charities will share the proceeds, AECC, a Spanish cancer charity, and Amate, a Tenerife charity dedicated to fighting breast cancer.

Awareness,early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to the continuing increase in cancer sufferers making a full recovery. Cancer touches many lives,most people know a family member or friend that has had the disease, all the more reason to make the Walk For Life a great success. There will be stages at each end of the walk, with entertainment in Spanish and English, this really is an event that cuts across all boundaries.

The walk starts at 11am, but it’s a good idea to arrive early. If you need any more information, phone 600821100 or try the website. If you are coming along, register your intent at Facebook, and help the organisers to plan ahead.

The weather forecast issued by the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología was for 15 litres a square metre but 100 litres were recorded and the radar station still is not working.

El Cabildo de Tenerife stresses that all the safety teams working for the Island Corporation acted swiftly when the north of the island was hit by heavy rains yesterday (Monday 16th).

The Island Corporatoin would like to point out that the weather forecast issued by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Meteorología was 15 litres per square metre when 110 litres were recorded and the radar station at los Pechos in Gran Canaria is still not working.

Rundown of events:

At 15.00 hours: the first emergency calls are registered at the 112 emergency number and the following emergency services are activated: Consorcio de Bomberos, Brigadas de Conservación de Carreteras staff from the Servicio de Gestión de Emergencias del Gobierno de Canarias.

At 16.00 hours: Gobierno de Canarias declares a pre-alert situation due to Adverse Meteorolgical Phenomenon (FMA) and actives its Plan Especial por Fenómeno Metereológico Adverso (PEFMA).

At 16.15 hours: the Military Emergency Unit (UME) is activated.

At 17.00 hours: the standby teams at the 10 Fire Stations on the island are activated and 90 firemen and 18 vehicles rush to the scene. The standby road safety teams are also activated: 60 men, 3 bulldozers and 12 vehicles.

At 17.30 hours: a crisis committee is convened formed by the president of the Cabildo, Ricardo Melchior and the island councillors of the Cabildo’s departments of the Environment (Medio Ambiente) and Roads, Safety & Mobility (Carreteras y Movilidad y Seguridad) as well as  island councillor Mónica Méndez and several heads of departments.

At 18.30 hours: the crisis committee meets at the operations headquarters of the 112-CECOES, together with the Dirección General de Seguridad y Emergencia of the Gobierno de Canarias.

At 19.00 hours: the president of the Cabildo signs the document declaring a state of Emergency Level 1 (Islandwide) and officially requesting intervention by the Military Emergency Unit (UME).

N.B. This is a standard formality, which in NO WAY affects or delays implementation of any of the emergency operations – these began THREE HOURS EARLIER. (continues)….

At 21.00 hours: an advanced command post is set up (PMA) at the Parque de Bomberos in La Orotava, from where, under the coordination of the Fire Chief, all operations are managed throughout the night.

At 06.00am today: the state of emergency is lifted and the road squadrons continue working. Of the 11 affected roads, all of them except TF-326 have been opened to traffic.

Updates and information: http://www.diariodetenerife.info/

Tenerife Champions Cup 2009 Timetable:

Viernes 9 de octubre

12:00 Alemania – Italia

13:00 Holanda – Rusia

14:00 Suiza – España II

15:00 España I – Gran Bretaña

16:00 Alemania – España II

17:00 Holanda – Gran Bretaña

Sábado 10 de octubre

12:00 Suiza – Italia

13:00 España I – Suiza

14:00 España II – Italia

15:00 Rusia – Gran Bretaña

16:00 Alemania – Suiza

17:00 España I – Holanda

Domingo 11 de octubre

13:00 Primera Semifinal

14:00 – Segunda Semifinal

17:00 – Gran Final

Tenerife Champions Cup 2008

Y además, se complace en invitarle a las fiestas oficiales de celebración:

Jueves 8 de octubre

COCKTAIL DE BIENVENIDA, en Hotel Sheraton La Caleta

a partir de las 21:00 horas.

Viernes 9 de octubre

Fiesta TENERIFE CHAMPIONS CUP’09 en Terraza Harry’s,

en el Centro Comercial Plaza del Duque a partir de las 23:00 horas.

Sábado 10 de octubre

CENA DE GALA y posterior FIESTA OFICIAL

en Hotel Sheraton La Caleta, a partir de las 21:00 horas.

a partir de las 18:00 horas.

Domingo 11 de octubre,

FIESTA FINAL SIAM PARK, en el anfiteatro

Find out more about the

More on Whats on Tenerife

View 2008 Photo’s on Flickr