Tesla Batteries Could Power Up a 1 GW Solar Project in Portugal

Photo: NEOEN

A recently proposed solar project in Portugal that includes Tesla batteries could nearly double the country's installed photovoltaic capacity. The installation is likely to require an investment of around €1 billion.

The Urban Planning Department of the Municipality of Santiago do Cacén, Portugal, said environmental authorities are currently evaluating a proposed 1GW solar power project that will use Tesla's newest energy storage system.

The project is being developed by Sunshining, from the Portuguese-Spanish group Prosolia, and is proposing an investment of €1 billion for a project in Santiago do Cacén, which will include not only a photovoltaic plant of unprecedented dimensions for Portugal, but also one of the largest battery parks in Europe.

In early January, Portuguese grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) announced that 80 energy projects with a total capacity of 17 GW were pending for the national electricity grid. However, the bandwidth of Portugal's grid is already limited. Now the only way to develop photovoltaic projects in the country is to participate in public auctions or get permission to connect to the grid among hundreds of project proposals that have not yet achieved the status of “projects of interest” for the system.

Prosolia was eligible to participate in a solar energy auction held by the Portuguese government in 2019. If built, the new project could almost double the country's total installed photovoltaic capacity, which stood at 1,030 MW at the end of October 2020.

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