The Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, warned on Thursday, during a hearing at the Assembly of the Republic, that Portugal risks waking up without fuel supply or facing uncontrolled price increases if it does not urgently strengthen its energy independence. The government position came before the parliamentary committee on the Occasional Committee for National Resilience, Natural Disaster Prevention and Monitoring of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, in Lisbon, where the minister emphasized that global tensions and regional conflicts represent a direct threat to international supply chains.
The minister stated that Portugal already has a high level of autonomy in renewable electricity production, but identified the import of liquid fossil fuels, used in road fleets, maritime and freight transport, as the country's main weakness. The strategy outlined by the executive calls for accelerated electrification of all viable segments combined with the development and production of renewable alternatives in national territory.
Regarding water resources, Maria da Graça Carvalho warned that storage solutions require technical rigor and respect for natural cycles. The minister explained that excessive water retention reduces sediment transport, causing sand shortages on beaches and increasing salinization of estuaries and aquifers, emphasizing that care must be taken with interference in nature.
The statements come at a time when the Government faces parliamentary and sectoral pressures regarding taxation and tariff fluctuations of petroleum products, while the application of European funds destined for energy transition and adaptation to climate change continues.
