The floating solar power plant, an innovative project of EDP, will start energy production in Portugal

The largest floating solar park in Europe is located in the Alqueva region, on the reservoir of a dam.

This is the second floating solar park built in Portugal after the EDP pilot project in Alto Rabagão The energy produced by this power plant, with approximately 12,000 photovoltaic panels, will provide over 30% of the consumption of the population in this region in southern Portugal.

In Alqueva, EDP plans to install up to 154 MW of renewable capacity in a hybrid project Seven months after construction began, EDP’s floating solar power plant in southern Portugal (Alqueva) is ready to start power generation. The commissioning of this project – considered the largest in Europe on a dam reservoir – is a relevant step in the development of renewable energies and strengthens EDP’s commitment to innovation and energy transition.

The solar park was inaugurated in Portugal on Friday, July 15, in an event attended by several Portuguese officials: Prime Minister António Costa; Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro; and Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy João Galamba.

Other participants included Roberto Bocca, executive member and head of the World Economic Forum’s energy area. All participants in this event were greeted by EDP CEO Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade.

With almost 12,000 photovoltaic panels – occupying 4 hectares, the equivalent of about 0.016% of the total area of ​​the Alqueva reservoir – the new platform has an installed capacity of 5 MW and the capacity to produce around 7.5 GWh per year, which which means that it can supply more than 30% of the families in this region in southern Portugal (Portel and Moura). The current solar project involves a total investment of six million euros and is distinguished by floating solar technology and the concept of hybridization, which allows the combination of solar and hydroelectric energy in the Alqueva dam.

In addition, the installation of a battery system with a nominal power of 1 MW and a storage capacity of approximately 2MWh is also planned. All these technologies will use a single connection point to the existing electricity network, promoting network optimization and efficiency, while reducing the impact on the environment.

In addition, EDP intends to install up to 154 MW of renewable capacity in a full hybrid farm, including 70 MW of floating solar photovoltaic panels, which were obtained by EDPR in the recent tender for floating solar energy in Portugal, but also 14 MW of solar overcapacity and 70 MW of hybrid wind capacity.

This project will consolidate the energy production in this dam, being able to produce 300 GWh annually, supplying 92,000 homes and avoiding the emission of over 133,000 tons of CO2. Also, the scale of the project and the hybridization component will make it possible to combine different technologies and ensure a price balance, similar to what is offered by the first floating solar park in Alqueva, already in operation. “Floating solar technology, in which EDP is a global pioneer, is a remarkable leap forward in expanding renewables and accelerating the decarbonisation process. Our hybridization strategy, by combining water, sun, wind and storage, is clearly a logical way to increase the energy production in which EDP will continue to invest.

Today, Alqueva is an example of innovation and sustainability that we will soon consolidate with the new project won at the first floating solar auction in Portugal, ”underlines Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP. Sustainable solutions for the future The Alqueva project stands out for its innovation in floats that support solar panels: recycled plastic, combined with cork composites. The solution, which is being tested for the first time at Alqueva, is the result of a partnership with Corticeira Amorim (through Amorim Cork Composites) which has developed a more sustainable formula for floats produced by the Spanish company Isigenere. This innovation helps to reduce the weight of the platform by 15% and helps to reduce the CO2 footprint of the project by about 30%. Floating solar technology is crucial in the use of resources and in the expansion of renewable energies, which contributes to combating energy dependence on other sources and accelerates the energy transition process.

This first large-scale project in Alqueva – which continued after the success of the first pilot launched in Alto Rabagão about seven years ago – is thus in line with EDP’s strategy to invest in innovation projects and renewables and to be 100% green by 2030.