Portugal’s Ministry of the Environment has awarded permits for 5 GW of grid-connected solar power projects. A permit of 5 GW has been issued for forthcoming power projects connected to a high voltage transmission network and an added 1 GW of projects which will be linked to E-grids running at lower voltage levels.
Some of the developers involved in the project are Hyperion, Neoen, Iberdrola, Smartenergy, SolCarport, EDPR, and Nenuphar Frontier. Fermsolar will be developing the project with a capacity of 480 MW, which is the largest among all the projects to be undertaken. Additionally, while most of the projects comprises of centralised solar installations, others consist of battery storage systems. All projects are anticipated to be commissioned by 2023.
Portugal has legally committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The National Energy and Climate Action Plan 2030 is the roadmap guiding the country towards climate neutrality, and it has recently become even more ambitious due to an update requested by Brussels.
One of the significant targets of the plan was to reach 80 percent renewable energy in electricity production by a specific date. However, Portugal has accelerated its timeline, aiming to achieve this milestone by 2026, four years earlier than originally planned. This progress is expected to help Portugal attain its net zero goal sooner, by the year 2045.
REGlobal’s Views: Portugal has recently notified a new regulatory framework to increase deployments in its renewable energy sector. This will significantly help in increasing investments in this space especially as large developers like Iberdrola, EDPR and Neoen plan mega projects in the country.
