CARE has already warned about “disguised industrial operation threatening local autonomy and future of rural Portugal”
A recent official opinion has raised serious concerns about the Cachopo Wind Farm project (part of the much wider Madoqua Power2X project) and its potential impact on public safety and infrastructure in the Algarve.
Pressure group CARE issued a damning press release in May, stressing that what was being presented – aside from threatening local autonomy and the very future of rural Portugal – was “a top-down imposition, not a participatory process”, framed in the language of sustainability.
It was a press release so carefully constructed, and ultimately frightening, that there appears to have been absolute silence from Madoqua. Was the consortium co-funded by the European Union hoping the article would simply be buried somewhere deep within the ether? Was no-one with any official clout aware of the implications? Now it appears, that yes, reservations are not simply held by concerned residents of the Algarve.
As CARE explains: “At the center of this review is the project’s failure to adequately consider the Loulé/Cavalos do Caldeirão weather radar – the Algarve’s only radar system for monitoring storms, floods, wildfires, and supporting safe air travel.
“This radar provides vital real-time data and has no direct backup. If disrupted, critical warnings could be delayed or missed, undermining IPMA’s (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera) ability to protect communities.
“The risks are immediate and could affect thousands of residents, visitors, and emergency services. Wind turbines placed in the radar’s line-of-sight are known to interfere with signal accuracy, creating blind spots and false echoes, an accepted problem well documented across Europe.
“The current proposal does not address this issue, prompting IPMA to issue an unfavourable opinion due to the compromising of essential weather monitoring.
“Additionally, APA (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente) expressed concern over the project’s proposed grid connection. The Cachopo and Serra do Caldeirão region operates on 60 kV and 150 kV lines, which are already near capacity. Unlike areas such as Sines with robust infrastructure designed for large-scale projects, this region lacks suitable substations. REN’s (Rede Eléctrica Nacional) grid maps indicate little or no available capacity in nearby substations, leading APA to conclude that the proposal is unworkable in its current form.
“Connecting such a large energy project to this fragile network will elevate the risk of instability and/ or future outages, especially in light of recent events like the Iberian blackout of April 2025.
“At the same time, the region is facing increasing pressure from multiple large-scale wind projects clustered in the same area.
“Environmental experts warn that if these developments move ahead without coordination, they could form a “ring of death” across the Algarve’s skies – a barrier of turbines along one of Europe’s most vital migratory corridors. This cumulative impact could severely disrupt the seasonal movements of birds traveling between Africa and Europe, threatening vulnerable species and undermining decades of conservation efforts across the Iberian Peninsula.
“These are not just environmental issues, but questions of public safety, energy reliability, and responsible planning. Before any renewable energy project moves forward in the Serra do Caldeirão, there must be robust studies on radar interference, biodiversity impacts, and proven grid capacity through formal agreements with REN”, says CARE.
“Algarve communities, aviation authorities, and civil protection agencies all depend on accurate radar data and a stable electrical network. A balanced, well-planned energy transition must protect both people and nature in Portugal. If we fail to protect critical safety infrastructure and biodiversity corridors, the consequences won’t stop at Portugal’s borders.
“Anything less threatens not just national resilience, but Europe’s shared climate and safety goals”.
To follow and support CARE in their Aware Algarve campaign on Facebook for updates, resources, and ways to get involved.
As to the recent official opinion on the wind farm project, it does not mean the project will not move forwards. It is essentially just a bend in the process that groups like CARE hope people will start watching, before this latest wind farm becomes another fait accompli, compromising local autonomy in yet another corner of the Algarve. ND
