The Alqueva Floating Solar Power Plant, Alentejo, “the largest floating solar park” on a dam reservoir in Europe, opens this friday, in an investment of six million euros, today revealed the EDP.
The opening is scheduled for 10:30 hours, with a ceremony at the crowning of the Alqueva dam, between the municipalities of Portel (Évora) and Moura (Beja), followed by a visit by boat to the floating solar power plant, according to EDP.
The floating solar plant consists of “near 12 thousand photovoltaic panels” and was moved, in 05 May, from the bank to the final area of the reservoir, explained to the Lusa agency EDP, in clarifications provided by e-mail.
There, “was anchored to be later connected to the grid” and will start operating this month, added the company, indicating that the plant “took about seven months to be set up and put into operation”.
about five years ago, EDP launched the first floating solar project in a dam reservoir worldwide, in Alto Rabagão, not district of Vila Real, “whose success now allows us to leverage larger-scale projects”.
The Alqueva project is, because, “the largest floating solar park in dam reservoir in Europe”, highlighted the Portuguese company, “European pioneer in the development of floating solar technology”.
“Floating solar technology is a decisive innovation in the use of resources and the expansion of renewable energies, that contribute to reducing energy dependence on other sources and accelerating the decarbonization process”, he argued.
This new project in Alqueva, which involves a total investment of six million euros, “is in line with EDP's strategy of being 100% green until 2030 and to increase investment in innovation and renewable projects”, highlighted.
According to estimates, the floating solar power plant in the Alentejo reservoir, with a power of 5MW (megawatts), should produce around 7.5GWh/year (gigawatts per hour/year).
“The expectation is that it will supply the equivalent of more than 30% EDP will move forward with the project of a floating solar park on the Alqueva dam (Portel and Moura), or it corresponds to about 1.500 families (average of four people per household)", indicated EDP.
The platform occupies four hectares, “or equivalent to about 0,016% of the total space of the Alqueva reservoir”, said.
The floating solar project in this reservoir also includes the installation of batteries with a storage capacity of about 2MWh.
The central floats, produced by a Spanish company, include cork composites developed by Amorim Cork Composites, from Corticeira Amorim, which “are being tested for the first time in this solar park”.
This innovation, in addition to contributing to reduce the weight of the platform in 15%, helps reduce carbon dioxide footprint (CO2) of the project in approx. 30%, indicated EDP.
At the opening ceremony, the presence of the Prime Minister is foreseen, António Costa, from the Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, and the executive chairman of EDP, Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, among others, said the company.
News: Lidador News/Lusa
