Iberdrola has secured approvals to build what will be one of Europe’s largest solar plants, a 1200MW project in Portugal.
The Spanish developer has secured environmental approvals to build the 1.2GW Fernando Pessoa solar project, in Santiago do Cacém, near Sines.
The plant is due online in 2025 and will have Prosolia Energy as partner.
The grid connection has already been contracted with Portuguese operator REN and land for the project has been secured, with construction expected to create up to 2500 jobs, mostly local.
The plant will be an example of the “coexistence of new renewable developments with environmental heritage and local communities”, said Iberdrola.
The project’s action plan includes measures such as occupational skills training, fostering tourism and providing solar energy to nearby communities.
In terms of biodiversity and environmental protection, the land will be used by shepherds to graze sheep and beehives will be introduced, which will help to improve ecosystem stability and boost crop yields in the surrounding farmland.
In addition, planting will be carried out in the area surrounding the facility to restore indigenous tree species.
Iberdrola Executive Chairman, Ignacio Galán, said: “This solar farm sets a new benchmark in combining Europe’s clean energy ambitions with the delivery of tangible environmental and social benefits.
“We need to reduce our exposure to fossil fuels. We are proud to continue and strengthen our commitment to Portugal with new clean infrastructure across the country, as we did with the Tâmega gigabattery.
“The collaboration of the Portuguese authorities has also been essential in getting this project to this stage in record time.”
Portugal has recently announced a new regulatory framework alongside the modernisation of its administrations, aimed at accelerating the deployment of clean energy.
The country’s stable and predictable regulations as well as its efforts to advance the implementation of the European Green Pact and the EU’s REPower package are helping to attract investor interest.
Iberdrola plans to invest an additional €3bn in wind and solar energy in Portugal over the coming years.
At the end of 2022, construction was completed on the Alcochete solar complex (46MW) in the Setúbal district (Lisbon region), where Iberdrola has also completed two other PV facilities: Conde (13.5MW) and Algeruz II (27MW).
In early 2023, construction will begin on the 37MW Montechoro I and II projects in Paderne (Albufeira) and the 64MW Carregado project in Alenquer (Lisbon), while the Estoi solar plant (83MW) in the Algarve, which also includes battery storage, will come on stream in 2024.
All these plants are related to Portugal’s capacity auctions held in 2019 and 2020, when Iberdrola was awarded eight PV projects amounting to 270MW in total.