Alqueva Dam
Two municipal chambers accuse the State of having designed the installation of a floating photovoltaic plant attributed to EDP Renováveis on the margins of the territories. Government blames António Costa’s Executive.
At issue is the installation of 40 hectares of power plant planned for , with a planned capacity of 70 megawatts and scheduled to start in 2026. The dispute has not yet reached the courts, but is already taking place between the municipalities and the Executive of Luís Montenegro.
João Fortes, president of Mourão Chamber (Beja)speaks of “total intransigence” regarding the possibility of installing the plant. The main concern, he says, cited by , is the preservation of the navigability and tourist attractiveness of the water surface, described as the “goose that lays the golden eggs” of the region.
Álvaro Azedo, president of Chamber of Moura (Évora)rejects the investment “as recommended” and accuses the process of having completely removed the municipalities from the Alqueva regulf.
O Government responded to criticism, but only blames past governancesaying that the decision is linked to a previous procedure and an ongoing technical-regulatory process.
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, recalls that the project was born from a competition launched by the previous PS Government and, at this stage, the current Executive does not have the decision-making power to “approve, alter or reject” the plant while the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) takes place, says Sol.
Álvaro Azedo goes further: he foresees a threat to federated sporting events and nautical tourism initiatives in which municipalities have already invested resources, highlighting the High Performance Sports Center associated with sports such as sailing, rowing and triathlon. This is equipment that involves costs of four million euros and agreements with federations — commitments that, in the mayor’s view, require the defense of local interests.
The contestation is not limited to two municipalities. The Transborder Association of Municipalities of Lago de Alqueva (ATLA) emerges as a platform for political and territorial alignment, bringing together Portuguese (Alandroal, Barrancos, Moura, Mourão, Serpa, Viana do Alentejo and Vidigueira) and Spanish (Alconchel, Cheles, Villanueva del Fresno and Olivença) municipalities.
The mayors met in November with the minister and, more recently, they met with the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado, in a meeting in Alfragide that also included the CCDR Alentejo. According to Álvaro Azedo, the municipalities received guarantees that they will be formally heard before the final decision.
The immediate outcome will depend on the AIA, where APA opinions, municipal pronouncements and regional assessments come together.
