Iberdrola's Montechoro PV plants start feeding Portugal's grid
Power Engineering International
Posted on: 19 July 2024
The Montechoro I and II PV plants in the Algarve region of Portugal have been completed and are now contributing to the country’s renewable production capacity.
The Montechoro I and II solar PV plants in the Algarve region of Portugal have been completed and are now contributing to the country’s renewable energy production capacity.
The Montechoro PV plants have a total installed capacity of 37MW and a total annual production capacity of 56.84GWh.
More than 64,554 bifacial panels will generate enough energy to supply around 19,000 households, avoiding the emission of more than 21 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
The projects were awarded to Spanish energy company Iberdrola in an auction in 2019. It represents a total investment of €30 million ($33 million) with the projects having generated around 200 jobs in the region.
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Alejandra Reyna, managing director of Iberdrola Renewables Portugal: "The completion of two additional photovoltaic plants represents an important milestone on the path to the decarbonisation of the economy, reinforcing the renewable energy production capacity in Portugal and contributing to socio-economic development, in line with national and global targets for reducing emissions and promoting energy autonomy.”
Iberdrola will continue to invest in expanding its green energy production portfolio in Portugal. Currently, it has a portfolio of projects in operation with an installed capacity of 1,435MW, including three hydroelectric plants, three wind farms, and a range of photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of 185MW.
Environmental preservation at Montechoro
Iberdrola will be ensuring the preservation of the Gruta Pequena do Escarpão, a cavity of geological interest located in the fenced area of the Montechoro II photovoltaic plant.
It is anticipated that educational visits will take place in the future to educate people about the local geology, clean energy generation and environmental benefits.
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Iberdrola has also invested in creating habitats and winter refuges for reptiles, mammals, amphibians and birds in tree plantations adapted to the area.
In addition, Iberdrola has planned the maintenance of 7.4 hectares of habitat 5330, (pre-desert thermo-Mediterranean scrubland) in the municipality of Albufeira, in the Algarve.
