Why is Portugal launching a solar energy storage project?

This initiative aims to enhance the flexibility and stability of Portugal's power supply system amid its record-breaking solar electricity production. On July 31, the ministry announced the allocation of €99.75 million through a call for tenders to install energy storage projects totaling 500 MW.

Does Portugal have a hydroelectric power station?

Simultaneously with the increase in solar production in the Iberian Peninsula, the Gouvães hydroelectric power station, which started operating in January 2022, has expanded the installed pumping capacity in Portugal.

How does a power plant work in Portugal?

When Portugal’s electrical system needs a boost, a signal activates a power plant buried deep in a hillside in the country’s scrubby, pine-covered north. Inside the man-made cavern, valves, nine feet in diameter, suddenly open, allowing water draining from a reservoir four miles away to begin streaming through four massive turbines.

Why did Portugal increase its hydroelectric power production?

One major contributor to Portugal’s significant increase in hydroelectric electricity production was the recent inauguration of the Alqueva II pumped storage plant. Construction of the Alqueva Dam, located on the Guadiana River in southern Portugal, was completed in 2002, and the reservoir reached capacity in 2012.

What is the reservoir capacity of Portugal?

The total reservoir capacity is equal to 13,290 hm 3 and the biggest reservoir capacities can be found for Guadiana and Tagus, which are rivers with their origin in Spain . Portugal currently has an installed hydropower generation capacity of 8.2 GW (5.3 dammed hydropower plants and 2.9 run-of-river), from which 3.6 GW are pumped hydro storage.

What is Portugal's Energy Strategy?

The strategy includes a target of 20.4 GW of operational PV systems by 2030, comprising 14.9 GW of large-capacity plants and 5.5 GW of decentralized generation. Additionally, Portugal has launched its first tender for biomethane and green hydrogen as part of this comprehensive energy strategy.