EDP Renewables has activated 202 MW of solar capacity in Portugal. The plant, in the district of Lisbon, was awarded to the company in the country’s inaugural solar energy auction. It is the company’s largest solar facility in Europe thus far.
EDP Renewables has commenced operations at the 202 MW Cerca solar plant in the Portuguese municipalities of Alenquer and Azambuja.
The plant features more than 310,000 bifacial solar panels, capable of absorbing solar energy from both sides. EDP Renewables said this maximizes its conversion into renewable electricity.
The project can power nearly 100,000 households, or approximately 1% of the Portuguese population. It is expected to prevent the emission of 170,000 tons of CO2 per year.
The Cerca plant is EDP Renewables’ largest solar plant in Europe to date and takes the company’s volume of owned solar in Portugal to 540 MWp.
EDP Renewables Chief Operating Officer for Europe Duarte Bello said that the company is looking at “dozens of new solar projects” that will make a “significant contribution” to the energy transition.
EDP Renewables has set a target of commissioning an additional 1 GW of renewable energy in Portugal by 2026. It estimates that by 2026, half of its global investments will be in large-scale solar projects and decentralized generation.
In February, EDP Renewables commissioned Portugal’s second solar-wind hybrid project, after commissioning the country’s first at the start of last year.
The European Commission recently approved a €350 million ($379.4 million) Portuguese grant scheme for the production of equipment for renewable energy, to support the country’s transition to a net-zero economy.