“We are undertaking other new wind projects in this same area that will mean an investment of €200 million,” Galán said during a visit to the Daivões dam and Gouvães sub-station in Ribeira de Pena, part of the Tâmega Electricity System (SET) that is one of the largest such projects in Europe of the past 25 years, comprising ultimate total investment of €1.5 billion.
Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, and the minister of environment and climate action, João Matos Fernandes, also took part in the visit.
“Iberdrola wishes to continue to grow in Portugal and there was no better place to express this commitment than in this SET”, said Galán, adding that the company intends to “continue to promote the energy transition “ in Portugal, as well as the “creation of wealth and well-being for all Portuguese.”
Recalling that the use of clean energy is central to Iberdrola’s business model, Galán stressed that the SET is set to make a “very major” contribution to Portugal’s plans to reduce carbon emissions.
According to data released by Iberdrola, the Gouvães dam is currently 75 percent completed, while Daivões is at 68 percent and Alto Tâmega at 42 percent. As a whole the SET system - which is overseen by Iberdrola - is expected to be completed in 2023.
The hydroelectric project was officially presented in 2009. The following year one of the four dams initially planned was struck from the project by imposition of the Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) for the project; work on the three remaining dams started in 2014.
Over the course of this decade, the venture has been the target of opposition from environmental associations and residents of affected municipalities. The creation of the Daivões and Alto Tâmega reservoirs will affect 52 homes.
At present the project is employing about 1,800 people, of whom almost 370 are from local municipalities.
When finished, it is to have an installed capacity of 1,158 megawatts (MW). Ultimate annual production is to be 1,760 gigawatts hours (GWh), equivalent to 6 percent of Portugal’s electricity consumption.