Still under construction in February 2020, the Solar Power Plant of Alcoutim will be the largest in the country, generating 220 MW. Owned by a Irish-Chinese company, Welink Group, it is located in the south of the country, in the Algarve. The Environmental Impact Assement was conducted in 2015 and the project received a “favoutable with conditions” evaluation. After some delays construction started in 2019. It required also the construction of a 7,8km powerline for connection to the grid. When it starts functioning, the power plant will supply electricity to 200,000 homes.
The solar power plant is located in the municipality of Alcoutim, in the south of Portugal. It occupies vacant land, with little agricultural use, in a landscape of small hills, with some vegetation cover (shrubs, wild flowers). The promoter also proposed two paralel sub-project for growing aromatic herbs (rosemary) and the production of honey.
The application for construction was submited to Environmental Impact Assessment in 2015. The National Institute for Conservation and Forests issued a statement higlighting negative impacts on landscape and soil cover and suggested mitigation measures, includind the protection of cork trees and the safeguard of ecological corridors. The public consultation received several statements from NGO, small local business and private individuals. Most were concerned with the size of the power plant and the impacts over flora, fauna, soil, water resources, cultural heritage, nature tourism, and landscape. Mitigation measures, such as tree barriers to hide the power plant from view, safeguarding existing public pathways, integrating the power plant in the Algarviana Route with information panels on renewable energy, were proposed.
In view of the importance of solar energy for the Renewable Energy National Plan, the project was approved but a set of mitigation measures were imposed. After consecutive delays, construction started in 2019.
