The project will have to respect environmental requirements such as the planting of trees, the introduction of beehives and the ceding of the land for pasture.
The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has given the green light for the construction of a solar plant, to be called the Fernando Pessoa plant, in Santiago do Cacém, Alentejo, which will have more than 1.9 million photovoltaic modules. It will be the largest solar park in Europe and the 5th largest in the world, with 1200 megawatts (MW) of installed power (similar to the Sines coal-fired plant, already decommissioned), and should be operational by 2025.
Iberdrola and Prosolia Energy’s project will be an example of coexistence of new renewable ventures with the environment and local communities, since:
– The land can be used by local shepherds for sheep feed, and beehives will be installed to improve ecosystem stability and increase crop yields on surrounding farmland;
– native trees will be planted around the infrastructure, replacing the existing eucalyptus trees (an invasive species);
– 2500 jobs will be created in the construction phase, mostly for local workers;
– part of the solar energy will be supplied to nearby communities. By producing electricity from a renewable base, the photovoltaic plant (with grid connection to the National Energy Network – REN) will avoid the consumption of 370 million cubic meters of gas per year, instead of resorting to gas-fired combined cycle power plants.
In addition, the venture includes a Socio-Economic Action Program, including measures such as professional training in the energy field and support for the tourism sector.
According to Iberdrola, “in 2025, when it starts operating, the Fernando Pessoa power plant (…) will supply enough clean, cheap, locally produced energy to meet the annual needs of about 430,000 households, a population equivalent to almost twice the city of Porto”.
The solar plant will have an investment of about 800 million Euros and will occupy an area of 1262 hectares.
Included in the total installed capacity is a battery farm with 257.5 MW of energy storage capacity. This way, a set of 2,164,736 photovoltaic modules will be installed for
use of solar energy, as stated in the Environmental Impact Statement
of the APA.
She could have studied Meteorology and Oceanography but ended up going for Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wasn't the one who would change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for her university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch series, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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