The Cabildo de Tenerife has approved the tender for a €1.17 million renovation of the refrigeration chambers at the potato storage and processing facilities in Benijos, La Orotava.
The project has a base tender budget of €1,176,196.32, with funding spread across 2026 and 2027.
The facilities are an important part of the agricultural infrastructure in the north of Tenerife, providing reception, processing, storage and distribution services for locally produced potatoes.
Two million kilos of storage
The Benijos facilities were built in 2004 and have the capacity to store up to two million kilograms of potatoes from the surrounding area.
The refrigeration system plays an important role in maintaining the product and helping regulate distribution, making it particularly important for local farmers and the wider potato sector.
The problem is that the existing industrial refrigeration system has become seriously outdated.
After years of deterioration, obsolescence and a lack of maintenance, the current system is no longer capable of reliably providing the performance originally intended for the facilities.
A complete refrigeration overhaul
The Cabildo says the project will involve a complete modernisation of the industrial refrigeration system, bringing the technology up to current efficiency standards.
The project will also incorporate environmental criteria as part of the renovation.
Sector Primary Councillor Valentín González described the work as a response to a long-standing and urgent need for the potato sector in northern Tenerife.
The aim is fairly straightforward: replace the ageing system, restore the facilities to proper working order and ensure Benijos can continue playing its role in supporting local agricultural production.
With capacity for two million kilos of potatoes, it isn’t exactly a small cold room.