33 images Created 15 Apr 2014
Canary Islands-El Hierro, the last island
El Hierro, nicknamed Isla del Meridiano (the "Meridian Island"), is the second-smallest and farthest-south and -west of the Canary Islands. By the 2nd century, the philosopher, geographer, and astronomer Ptolemy considered a definition of the Zero Meridian based on the westernmost position of the known world, so this small island was considered the end of the world until Columbus sailed off to the Americas from here in 1492.
El Hierro is unique, so much so that it's planning to become the globe's first energy-self-sufficient island, combining a great hydro and wind-power project with financial aid from the European Union. The goal is to supply electricity for 11,000 residents, an additional number of tourists, and three water desalination facilities. When winds are calm, or demand exceeds supply, water is released from a basin at the extinct volcano's bottom. Water in the lower basin is then pumped back up again to the upper reservoir when there is excess wind power. In early 2018, El Hierro covered its entire electricity demand between 25 January and 12 February with its renewable resource base, avoiding the use of polluting energy sources for more than 560 hours in 2018
El Hierro, a Unesco Geopark, is a semi-mythical island, the hardest to get of the Canary Islands, but has been declared the "Best in Travel" by Lonely Planet in 2021, an eco-friendly paradise, where nature is as its rawest. A total escape without resorts or crowded beaches for ecotourism, an increasing economic source for small islands.
El Hierro is unique, so much so that it's planning to become the globe's first energy-self-sufficient island, combining a great hydro and wind-power project with financial aid from the European Union. The goal is to supply electricity for 11,000 residents, an additional number of tourists, and three water desalination facilities. When winds are calm, or demand exceeds supply, water is released from a basin at the extinct volcano's bottom. Water in the lower basin is then pumped back up again to the upper reservoir when there is excess wind power. In early 2018, El Hierro covered its entire electricity demand between 25 January and 12 February with its renewable resource base, avoiding the use of polluting energy sources for more than 560 hours in 2018
El Hierro, a Unesco Geopark, is a semi-mythical island, the hardest to get of the Canary Islands, but has been declared the "Best in Travel" by Lonely Planet in 2021, an eco-friendly paradise, where nature is as its rawest. A total escape without resorts or crowded beaches for ecotourism, an increasing economic source for small islands.
