The dam, in the Alto Alentejo, has already been announced by three previous prime ministers, Mário Soares, António Guterres and Durão Barroso, but has yet to be built.


“Let there be no mistake. It was guaranteed by the Prime Minister, I just underline what he said, that the Pisão Dam would be a reality and we are working on it”.


“There is already funding for the preparatory work. As you know, an environmental impact study is needed and, therefore, we have to carry out several studies before work can begin”.


“It’s a project that is also important in this territory and that will help other projects that already exist”.


The Pisão Dam should have a total investment of €168 million, and should be concluded in 2027.


In addition to the investment of €168 million, there is also another investment of €50 million for irrigation, which should cover an area of “10 to 12,000 hectares,” as the then Minister of Agriculture, Capoulas Santos, told reporters in June.


The Pisão Dam, which will have a seven-kilometre water surface, could produce enough energy to supply 75 percent of the population of Portalegre district.


The public water supply will have annual springs of about 3.3 million cubic metres.


The electrical energy produced through the solar photovoltaic plant with power of 150 megawatts (MW) is capable of generating about 275 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and expects a revenue of 25.2 million euros per year, through a solar photovoltaic plant to be installed in an area of two square kilometres”.


The project foresees the submergence of the small village of Pisão, which is currently home to some 60 inhabitants.