The announced mega solar farms in Beira Interior, promoted by the British multinational Lightsource BP, will have different fates following negative environmental impact assessments. The Sophia project, which covered the municipalities of Fundão, Idanha-a-Nova and Penamacor, was reformulated after the assessment committee coordinated by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) identified "very significant negative impacts" on landscape, soil, land use planning and socioeconomics. The Beira project, planned for the municipalities of Castelo Branco and Idanha-a-Nova, was completely abandoned by the company.
Regarding the Sophia project, installed capacity was reduced by 34%, going from 867MWp to approximately 573MWp. The fenced area decreased by 32% and the number of fenced nuclei dropped from 44 to 22, a reduction of 50%. The new proposal reduces the area occupied in the municipalities of Penamacor and Idanha-a-Nova, eliminates the four planned medium-voltage overhead line corridors and approximately 70% of the line extension remains adjacent to existing lines. The project completely withdraws from the area with future irrigation potential and reduces intersection with National Ecological Reserve areas by 99%.
The reformulation of the Sophia project is accompanied by a shared benefits program with an overall investment exceeding 20 million euros, including collective self-consumption projects, support for families in energy poverty situations, training and employability, fire prevention and promotion of sustainable tourism in Beira Baixa. Miguel Lobo, Managing Director of Lightsource BP in Portugal, stated that implementation is planned for 2029 and that the company will submit the reformulation to APA by October 2.
Regarding the Beira project, Lightsource BP decided to abandon it after APA rejected the project in December 2025, identifying significant negative impacts on ecological systems and land use. The solar farm contemplated the installation of 425,600 photovoltaic modules with a capacity of 266MW over an area of 524.4 hectares. The company explained that the analysis of the necessary changes showed that financial viability conditions were not met to proceed with developing a reformulated solution.
