The Government postponed by a few weeks the auction for the allocation of 1,050 megavolt-ampere of grid connection capacity for projects with storage, whose launch was scheduled for today. The Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, justified the postponement with the need to analyze the 62 contributions received during the public consultation, indicating a timeframe of three to four weeks for the conclusion of the process.
The tender covers two distinct procedures: one for 750 MVA destined for autonomous storage facilities and another for 300 MVA of capacity destined for renewable power plants associated with storage. The procedures had been presented by the Government at the end of June and were under public consultation.
During a visit to Abrantes, in the district of Santarém, Maria da Graça Carvalho also announced that part of the available capacity at Pego will be allocated to the Technological Free Zone, created as part of the just transition following the closure of the coal-fired power plant in 2021. Endesa won the just transition tender in 2022 and plans to begin in 2027 the construction of a hybrid renewable project with approximately 600 megawatts of capacity, combining wind, solar and storage energy, in an estimated investment of 600 million euros.
The mayor of Abrantes, Manuel Jorge Valamatos, considered that the remaining capacity has significant potential for attracting investment. The minister warned about the need to accelerate new projects to take advantage of the technical and industrial knowledge accumulated in the region before former power plant workers retire, classifying this know-how as a scarce and valuable resource for the economic reconversion of the territory.
