PORTUGAL AN ECOLOGICAL COUNTRY

Portugal is banking on ecological innovations, such as solar power and floating wind turbines, to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Of all the European Union, Portugal is the country that has reduced its CO2 emissions the most in 2018, with a decrease of 9%, compared to an average of 2.5% in the rest of Europe. This makes Portugal a green country.

This reduction is largely attributable to the development of green energy in Portugal. According to Eurostat, 54% of the electricity generated in Portugal in 2016 came from renewable sourcesThis makes it the third best in Europe in this respect. Behind Austria and Sweden.

For six days in March 2018, Portugal even covered all of its energy needs with renewable energy. Their development should also eventually allow Portugal to free itself from its dependence on fossil fuel imports.

On the other hand, the price of electricity for households and industry is one of the highest in the Union.

Portugal has also embarked on the development of innovative technologies. In Alto Rabagão, in the north, EDP is testing a floating solar power plant. These are 840 photovoltaic panels that have been installed on a platform drifting on the artificial lake formed by one of the country's many hydraulic dams.

All these are still experimental but it accumulates qualities, if the tests are conclusive it could allow to develop the solar. Which represents for the moment only 2% of the energy mix.

The largest floating wind power plant

Off the coast of Viana do Castelo, on the border with Spain, another floating project, this one wind-powered, is due to start operating in 2019. After more than five years of successful experiments. "The floating wind turbines have withstood extreme weather conditions, including waves of more than 50 feet, says José Medeiros Pinto, secretary general of Apren, the Portuguese renewable energy association. These tests led to the development of the 25 MW Windfloat Atlantic project, which will be the largest floating wind power plant in existence." 

Choosing to develop floating offshore allows Portugal to solve the problem posed until now by the great depth of its continental shelf, which prevents the installation of conventional offshore wind turbines.

Portugal is truly an ecological country.