Portuguese utility EDP Renováveis has commissioned a 202MWp solar PV project in central Portugal, its largest PV project in Europe to date.
The Cerca project deployed over 310,000 bifacial solar modules at its location in the municipalities of Alenquer and Azambuja, EDP said, with an estimated annual power output of 330GWh.
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The project was the product of a successful bid in Portugal’s 2019 solar PV auction, which garnered ‘record’ attention for around nine times its advertised capacity. EDP said that it is the first of the projects awarded in the auction to come online.
Duarte Bello, administrator of EDP Renováveis for Europe and Latin America said that the project’s completion was a significant moment “despite the impacts of the pandemic, the geopolitical situation and the rise in raw material costs” that have affected the solar industry since the 2019 auction.
EDP said that it intends to add another 1GW of operational renewable energy capacity to its Portuguese operations by 2026. By the same date, it said that half of its entire global investment capacity would be put into large-scale solar projects and decentralised solar generation. Currently, it owns 4.3GWp of large-scale capacity and 1.7GWp of decentralised assets.
Last month, the company commissioned a solar-plus-wind project on the coast of Portugal. The development saw the 21MW Monte de Vez PV plant added to the existing São João wind farm. The two projects are co-located and share a grid connection.
Last week, London-headquartered NextEnergy Capital inaugurated a 210MW solar PV project in Santarém, Portugal.
| PV Tech publisher Solar Media will be organising the 12th annual edition of Large Scale Solar Europe in Lisbon, Portugal, 26-27 March. The event will explore the solar manufacturing future in Europe, with panels on several markets, including Italy, Ireland and Czechia as well as permitting and planning bottlenecks, among others. More information, including how to attend, can be read here. |
