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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 new wind farm will have a capacity of 274 megawatts (MW), which is equivalent to the annual energy needs of 128 000 homes.
Portugal’s largest wind farm has received its final environmental approval from the government and is due to begin construction early next year in the districts of Braga and Vila Real. With a capacity of 274 MW, the park will be able to secure the annual consumption of 128 000 homes.
The project is being carried out by the renewable energy company Iberdrola and will form part of the Tâmega Electro-Producer System (SET), one of the largest hydroelectric projects completed in Europe in the last 25 years. In this way, it will become the first project to combine wind and water power.
“The project will provide greater energy security, promoting independence from fossil fuels and advancing the decarbonization of the economy,” reads Iberdrola’s statement.
Regarding coexistence with the environment, the company admits that it will implement “various environmental measures in the ecosystems within the area of the wind farms. Given the proximity of both projects, some of the measures already successfully carried out at SET will be continued, such as the planting of native species and actions relating to the management of the surrounding forests. Measures that favor fauna will also be continued, such as planting pastures, planting species with fleshy fruits, creating and restoring ponds and installing bat nest boxes.”
The company’s plans also include the adoption of a series of Ecological Systems Monitoring Programs for birds, bats, wolves, flora and natural habitats, based on control measures for possible impacts and the definition of new mitigating measures.
Technology used
The wind farm will take advantage of the same connection point to the electricity grid as the SET, as well as the roads and facilities already built, minimizing the environmental impact (compared to the impact that two independent power plants would have).
“By having two technologies that work in alternation, the dependence on varying environmental conditions and limitations due to the possible lack of resources such as wind is significantly reduced, facilitating more stable renewable production and allowing the optimization of the electrical transport infrastructure,” the press release said.
The SET has the capacity to produce 1 766 gigawatts (GWh) per year, enough to meet the energy needs of neighboring municipalities and the cities of Braga and Guimarães (440 000 homes). Currently, the hydroelectric complex avoids the emission of 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide per year and the import of more than 160 000 tons of oil per year.
The second and final environmental opinion for the Tâmega Wind project, known as the Decision on the Environmental Conformity of the Execution Project (DCAPE), will be followed by an application for a production license to Portugal’s Directorate-General for Energy and Geology.
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