APV and Xunta Commit to Working Together for Zero-Emission Cíes Islands

• During a visit by the Port Authority’s top official, Carlos Botana, and the Regional Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez
• With an investment of nearly €800,000, the Port of Vigo has implemented and planned a series of projects focused on sustainability, safety, and energy efficiency in this natural enclave
• APV plans to replace the lighthouse dome and rehabilitate the adjoining building for possible use as a museum or interpretive space

The Port Authority of Vigo reaffirmed this morning its commitment to protecting and enhancing the Cíes Islands. With a total investment of €798,000, the Port of Vigo has implemented and planned a series of projects focused on sustainability, safety, and energy efficiency in this natural environment. This investment was the central theme of the visit carried out by the Port Authority’s president, Carlos Botana, and the Regional Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez.

As Botana himself recalled, the Port Authority has allocated a significant portion of the funds to projects already completed and others currently underway. Among the completed actions are the rehabilitation of pathways, repairs to docks such as Carracido—damaged by tides and waves—various safety improvements, and measures related to energy efficiency, such as the installation of a new photovoltaic plant to supply electricity to the lighthouse, thereby maximizing the performance of the panels and batteries.

Future projects

Planned future projects include the replacement of the lighthouse dome—a major undertaking that will involve replacing this element, deteriorated by the sea. The new dome will be manufactured in sections and transported and installed with the help of a helicopter.

Likewise, the Port Authority plans to rehabilitate the building adjacent to the lighthouse for possible use as a museum or interpretive space.

During their visit to the archipelago, the Port Authority president and the Regional Minister highlighted the need to achieve energy self-sufficiency for the Cíes Islands through an ambitious plan that aims to generate 100% of the islands’ electricity and thermal energy demand from renewable sources, using any surplus to enable sustainable, zero-emission mobility with no CO₂ or NOx output. This represents a technological and sustainability challenge in an area with difficult access and adverse weather conditions.

This initiative aligns with the Blue Economy strategy of the Port of Vigo, led by Botana himself, who considers it essential to balance economic development with environmental protection.