Published: 01.03.2023.

An Island with a view to the future

The Portuguese have been making bold steps in the transition towards renewable energy sources via the commencement of construction of the largest floating solar park in Europe. The glittering solar island is being constructed in the Alqueva dam, the continent’s largest man-made lake, and will be ready for business by the end of the summer.

The infrastructure is aligned with the Portuguese pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The aim is to help the oldest country in Europe to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, and to this end, Portugal has already shut down all its coal-fired power plants, following the example of Belgium, Sweden and Austria. The integration of 12,000 solar panels will produce as much as 7.5 GWh of electricity per year and will be supported by lithium batteries with a storage capacity of 2 GWh.

Thanks to the large number of sunny days throughout the year, the “solar island” will significantly contribute to the supply of electricity to the nearby towns of Portel and Moura.

Source:

Europe’s largest floating solar park to open in Portugal this summer | The Optimist Daily