EDP, Exide in deal for 3.8MW Portuguese solar-plus-storage duo

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The deal between EDP and Exide will see 10,000 panels installed alongside Exide's battery systems (Credit: Exide)

Portugal’s EDP has inked a deal for its largest PV project to date, a 3.8MWp solar-plus-storage duo it will develop for lead acid battery and storage system maker Exide Technologies.

The agreement signed this week will see EDP deploy and run two PV installations powering Exide’s industrial units in Castanheira do Ribatejo and Azambuja, some 20 miles to the northeast of Lisbon.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Exide will not only source electricity from the plants but also provide them with battery energy storage systems, which it will manufacture. Exide Technologies is headquartered in Milton, Georgia, not to be confused with India's Exide Industries, which coincidentally also makes lead-acid batteries for a range of applications.

According to EDP, the plants should be operational by Q1 2020 and will feature some combined 10,000 panels across a 20,000-square-meter site. Together with the solar it will utilise 70 inverters and 500kWh of Exide Technologies' Sonnenschein A600 valve-regulated lead acid industrial batteries with absorbent glass mat (AGM) fixed electrolytes.  

“More and more companies will rely on self-generated power backed by a BESS (battery energy storage system) in years to come, especially in energy-demanding sectors like manufacturing,” Exide Technologies' president for the EMEA region Stefan Stübing said.

The duo, EDP added, is designed to produce electricity equal to the needs of over 2,000 households. Excess power will be unloaded onto the grid in the summer and other low-consumption periods, the firm explained.

Plans for fresh 2GW of PV by 2022

The 3.8MW project emerges a month after the EDP said it would work to capture the “sizeable” PV opportunity in Portugal and elsewhere, revealing a goal to install a global 2GW by 2022.

At the time, the energy giant said it would back its move into solar and wind by raising €6 billion in fresh cash, and riding the tailwinds created by policy events such as Portugal’s auctioning plans.

Attendees of last month’s Large Scale Solar Europe summit in Lisbon heard energy state secretary João Galamba outline the upcoming tenders: 1.35GW of PV in 2019, plus a 50-100MW storage auction in 2020.

The reaction of solar players ranged from optimism about Portugal’s potential to doubts over the grid’s readiness for the auctioning of new capacity.

During a panel discussion, Berto Martins, deputy director of energy markets at EDP, argued the country will need energy storage and smart grids to mitigate “imbalances” as renewables come online.

Read Next

October 6, 2025
Genesis Energy and FRV Australia have mutually agreed to terminate their solar development joint venture while maintaining co-ownership of the 63MWp Lauriston solar PV power plant in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Premium
October 6, 2025
Talon PV aims to be the first US company to safely manufacture TOPCon cells at scale, backed by European technology and a crucial First Solar licensing deal.
October 6, 2025
Indian infrastructure company focused on rooftop and ground-based solar power installations, PVV Infra has secured solar power orders worth INR7.9 billion (US$90 million) through two of its subsidiaries. 
October 6, 2025
US utility AES Corporation is reportedly in discussions to be acquired by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a subsidiary of global asset owning giant BlackRock.
October 6, 2025
Indian solar developer ACME Group has established a new subsidiary to manage its renewable equipment manufacturing business, under which it is planning to scale production of TOPCon PV modules.
October 6, 2025
Rajasthan government will develop 500MW/2,000MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a four-hour single-cycle configuration and extended operational life.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland