The study of waste generated in ports is a vitally important issue to reduce marine pollution and improve port management systems. In this article, the authors study the management of solid waste generated in the ports of the Canary Islands. For this purpose, a waste management model based on the circular economy is developed. With this model, it is possible to reduce pollution in the port areas of the capital’s islands, increase the fraction of recycled waste and obtain additional energy for the ports. The interest of this study lies in the singularities of these islands with respect to the geographic limitations that make them weak energy environments. The proposed solution to solve the current problems and achieve a zone of zero waste (throughout the port of Santa Cruz and its industrial estate) has two main phases: the first, in which solid waste is processed and a part is recycled, and the second, which consists of recovering the energy of the converted fuels. The advantages of the application of this model are that CO₂ emissions are reduced, energy savings are realized, waste management is improved in these environments (the recycling fraction is increased considerably), and new jobs are created. This model also contributes to the development of the Special Territorial Plan for Waste Management of the Canary Islands, in accordance with the policies of the European Union required for the coming years.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a controversial aspect of isolated environments, not only because the production of waste grows exponentially, but also because in these isolated regions the difficulties are accentuated in comparison with the mainland territories. The limitation of space, the technology of scale and the peaks of generation due to existing tourism, are clear examples of the barriers that must be overcome. This research studies the potential of MSW recovery on the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands) as an alternative to landfill deposition, being an additional energy source for heat and electricity. Likewise, the possibility of carrying out the landfill mining located in the El Revolcadero environmental complex is explored. The methodology followed consists, first of all, on estimating the annual amount of MSW and waste deposited in the landfill. Second, the characterization of representative samples of each municipality is carried out. Third, according to these characteristics, the thermal treatment is chosen and, finally, the energy generated is evaluated. The results are encouraging, and many advantages are derived from this model. The annual recycling figure increases by about 5000 tons per year, the percentage of renewable energy from waste reaches 35.5% (most installed capacity is diesel), and greenhouse gases (GHG) are reduced by more than half. To overcome the challenges in the integral management of MSW, it is necessary to move from a linear economy to a circular economy that takes into account the priorities established by the European Union to solve the problem of these isolated environments in terms of energy.

As non-mainland territories, the Canary Islands represent isolated electricity systems with their own peculiarities, derived mainly from their location. They are therefore subject to a special regulatory framework governing their electricity supply activities. These systems are less stable, in terms of both electrical energy generation and its transport infrastructures, because their site limitations require production to rely on a small number of plants, multiplying the problems that arise from potential grid or generator failures. This means that power generation costs in isolated groups of islands have been intrinsically higher than those on the mainland, above all in terms of fuel, given their greater dependence on fossil fuels. These costs also have a different structure, wherein variable costs prevail over fixed costs. The entry into force of Royal Decree 738/2015 defines a new method to determine the price of demand, generation, and additional costs. In addition, it creates a new virtual market for each isolated system (or subsystem), which takes into account the prices of the mainland, moving year, and generation costs. This implies a reduction in the volatility of the electricity market in these territories (lower risk) because part of the purchase price is already known. In this regard, the Canary Islands’ subsystem that has experienced the greatest increase in generation costs is the island El Hierro, since, in systems where there is a wider diversification in the generation methods, there is also a greater variation in monthly prices—that is, greater uncertainty. The aim of this study is to analyze the operation of the Canary Islands’ electricity market and the configuration of its dispatch pool. The wind-pumped hydropower station on El Hierro is described as a specific case study to illustrate the impact of the new regulatory framework.

Rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves forces the global energy sector to transition to sustainable energy sources. Specifically, distributed energy markets have emerged in the renewable energy sector in recent years, partly because blockchain technology is becoming a successful way to promote secure and transparent transactions. Using its decentralized structure, transparency, and even pseudonymity, blockchain is increasingly adopted worldwide for large-scale energy trading, peer-to-peer exchanges, project financing, supply chain management, and asset tracking. The research comprehensively analyzes blockchain applications across multiple fields related to energy, bibliographically evaluating their transformative potential. In addition, the study explores the architecture of various blockchain systems, assesses critical security and privacy challenges, and discusses how blockchain can enhance operational efficiency, transparency, and reliability in the energy sector. The paper’s findings provide a roadmap for future developments and the strategic adoption of blockchain technologies in the evolving energy landscape for an effective energy transition.