Solar Thermoelectric Energy Laboratory

The Solar Thermoelectric Energy Laboratory is an unfinished, abandoned research facility on the southern coast of Tenerife, in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona, close to the seaside town of El Médano. Rising above the dunes and beaches of this stretch of coastline are the skeletal remains of dish structures, each 26 metres across, once meant to track the sun and concentrate its rays through a rotating array of mirrors. Today it stands as one of the Canary Islands' most striking abandoned sites, clearly visible from nearby roads even though the structure itself is off-limits from the inside.

What was the laboratory built to do?

The project was designed to generate both electricity and hydrogen from concentrated sunlight. Its most experimental feature was a chemical process meant to store the captured solar heat as methanol, a method that — had it worked — would have let the site bank solar energy for far longer than conventional batteries allow. Several dish units were planned, each tracking the sun independently through mirrors mounted on a moving frame.

How was construction meant to unfold?

The first phase of the project, budgeted at roughly 5 million euros, was funded through a grant from Spain's Ministry of Industry awarded in 2007, with building work starting the following year, in 2008. A far larger second phase, meant to scale the concept up to full industrial output, was projected to cost around 111 million euros — a jump in scale that shows just how ambitious, and how expensive, this early solar-hydrogen experiment was meant to be.

Why was the project never completed?

The laboratory was built on rural land without the planning permits required for that kind of construction, and this administrative failure is what ultimately brought the project down. Work was halted three separate times before stopping for good in 2009. The construction company later sued the Canary Islands regional government, seeking 50 million euros in daily restitution counted from 9 February 2009, plus a further 40 million euros in losses. Spanish courts dismissed the claim in 2013, closing the legal dispute but leaving the structure permanently unfinished.

What does the site look like now?

The dishes stand unmonitored and increasingly weathered, and entering the site carries real risk since nothing has been secured or adapted for visitors. Even so, the sight of these giant mirrored dishes set against Tenerife's dry, volcanic landscape draws photographers and people with an interest in abandoned industrial sites. Wikidata lists the site simply as an "abandoned dish structure."

How do you get there?

The laboratory sits right on the coast near El Médano, a well-known surfing town on Tenerife's south side. Driving is the easiest option, with parking available in El Médano itself. Bus line 411 also stops within walking distance of the site.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Solar Thermoelectric Energy Laboratory? It's an unfinished solar-energy research facility begun in 2008, designed to produce electricity and hydrogen from concentrated sunlight. It now stands abandoned as a set of giant dish structures on the coast near Granadilla de Abona.

Why was construction stopped? The site was built on rural land without the required planning permits. After three earlier halts, work stopped for good in 2009, and a legal dispute between the developer and regional authorities was resolved in 2013 when the courts dismissed the developer's claim.

Can you go inside the structure? The site isn't officially open or secured, so entering it is entirely at your own risk.

How do you reach the laboratory from El Médano? By car, with parking available in El Médano, or by bus line 411, which stops within walking distance of the site.