Portugal’s government wants to assess the potential of abandoned and degraded mining areas for renewable energy projects. It has ordered a technical study which is expected to be completed within four months.
The ministry of environment and energy says the study will evaluate solar and wind power potential, as well as the possibility for storage in these areas.
The concept promotes environmental rehabilitation, says the ministry, and avoids pressure on agricultural, forest and ecologically sensitive land. Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho describes it as “transforming environmental liabilities into strategic assets”.
“These areas, often marked by environmental liabilities and use limitations, represent an opportunity for clean energy projects because they are developed areas, avoiding the use of land with higher agricultural, forestry or ecological value,” the ministry statement continues.
State research entity LNEG, the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology, and EDM, the state owned Mining Development Company, will conduct the study. The brief includes identifying areas, evaluating different technologies, and analysing power grid connections.
The study could also identify areas suitable for self-consumption by energy-intensive companies, and for creating renewable energy communities, says minister Carvalho.
“This work will identify concrete solutions to transform degraded areas into clean energy production hubs, promoting environmental requalification and creating new economic opportunities for these areas,” her ministry’s statement concludes.
Source: LUSA
