The photo is sourced from edp.pt
The pontoons supporting the photovoltaic panels were made from the recycled plastic and cork composites, which reduced the project’s environmental footprint. The €6 million complex will also be equipped with a 1 MW energy storage system having 2 MWh storage capacity. As the Alqueva HPP, the floating solar power plant and batteries will be connected to a general power grid.
“The bet on hybridisation, by combining electricity produced from water, sun, wind and storage, is a logical path of growth in which EDP will continue to invest – it allows us to produce cheaper energy, optimises resources and with minimal environmental impact,” the Energy Storage industry publication quotes Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, the EDP CEO.
The EDP project will strengthen dominance of the renewable energy sources (RES) in the Portuguese power industry. According to Ember research centre, RES accounted for 63% of power generation in Portugal in 2021, including 27% from wind turbines, 23% from HPPs and 5% from solar power plants (with the share of other RES 8%, and coal, gas and other fossil sources – 27%). At the same time, solar energy leads in the rate of commissioning generation capacities. As the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says, 1,563 MW new solar power plant capacities were introduced in Portugal within 2012 and 2021, compared to 1,529 MW for HPPs and 836 MW for wind generators.
