Iberdrola inaugurates the Tâmega Gigabattery, the largest clean energy project in the history of Portugal

 

The Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, and the president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galan, have inaugurated in Portugal la Tâmega Gigabattery, a large hydroelectric storage project whose construction has taken almost eight years and has involved an investment of more than 1.500 billion euros.

 

The event was also attended by the Minister of Environment and Climate Action of Portugal, Duarte Cordeiro, the Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy, Joao Galamba, and the presidents of the Municipal Chambers of Ribeira de Pena, Vila Pouca de Aguilar, Boticas, Chaves, Montalegre and Cabeceiras de Basto. Nearly two hundred people, including suppliers, employees, local and national authorities and journalists from Spain and Portugal, have witnessed this event, which represents an international milestone in the field of technology, civil works and environmental investment.

 

With a capacity of 1.158 MW, the electric production system of the Tâmega It is capable of storing 40 million kWh, equivalent to the energy consumed by 11 million people for 24 hours in their homes, becoming one of the largest energy storage systems in the world. Europe.

 

The complex is made up of three power plants - Upper Tâmega, Daivões and Gouvães - and, thanks to its pumping capacity, it can store energy to be used when it is most needed; a cycle of energy efficiency and true circular economy that will increase the total electrical power installed in Portugal and it will avoid the emission of 1,2 million tons of CO2 per year - without quantifying many more millions thanks to the renewable energy that can be integrated into the system - favoring the fight against climate change.

 

This great engineering work, in which several thousand people have worked, will prevent the import of more than 160.000 tons of oil per year, consolidating itself as a socioeconomic and job creation engine in the region.Likewise, the construction of the complex in this area of ​​northern Portugal has had an ambitious plan of social, cultural and environmental actions, which benefit seven municipalities, and to which more than 50 million euros have been allocated.

 

With a capacity of 1.158 MW, the Tâmega electrical production system is capable of storing 40 million kWh, equivalent to the energy consumed by 11 million people for 24 hours in their homes.

 

As has been pointed out Ignacio Galan, the development of this large complex has been possible thanks to the environment of legal stability and good dialogue achieved by the Government of Portugal in recent years. Furthermore, this infrastructure shows that the two great goals of the Europe's energy policy, energy independence and decarbonization are perfectly compatible as long as work is done on the electrification of the economic and productive system.

 

During his speech, Ignacio Galán also announced that the company will be able to double the investments made in the Gigabattery in the coming years, reaching 3.000 million euros, which will be allocated to new wind farms and solar plants already under development or construction.Iberdrola thus continues its sustainable growth strategy which has positioned it as the largest electricity company in Europe, after investing 140.000 million euros in the last 20 years and supporting more than 19.000 companies with its purchases through which it generates 400.000 jobs. In tax contributions alone, Iberdrola allocates 8.000 million euros each year in the more than 30 countries where we are present.