Wedoany.com Report-Jun 8, Neoen has launched Portugal’s largest solar park, a 272MWp facility combining the Rio Maior and Torre Bela solar farms, located near Azambuja, 70km north of Lisbon. Fully operational by late 2024, the project began supplying electricity to the national grid, marking a significant step in Portugal’s renewable energy efforts.

The solar farms are projected to produce over 500GWh of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 110,000 households, according to Neoen, the French developer. Eighty percent of the output is secured through two 15-year power purchase agreements from the 2019 capacity auction, while the remaining electricity and certificates of origin are sold on the open market.

Wholly owned by Neoen, the Rio Maior (204MWp) and Torre Bela (68MWp) farms connect to the REN substation via a 400kV line. Developed within the Herdade da Torre Bela estate, the project integrates agricultural and biodiversity considerations. Neoen preserved 6,000 cork oaks and designed the park in 20-hectare plots with green corridors. A visual screen of trees and shrubs ensures the facility blends with the surrounding landscape.

With this project, Neoen’s operational and under-construction capacity in Portugal reaches 326MWp, including the Coruche, Seixal, and Foral solar farms. The company’s development pipeline exceeds 600MW, encompassing solar, wind, and storage projects. Neoen plans to establish a large battery storage facility and a new wind farm at Rio Maior, aiming to create a “Green Power Hub.” The company already operates 400MW of battery storage in Europe and nearly 1GW of grid-forming batteries in Australia.

Matilde Azevedo, Neoen Portugal’s head of business development, stated: “We are particularly thankful to the ministry, regulator, environment agency, REN, the municipality of Azambuja and local communities for their support.”

Xavier Barbaro, Group CEO, added: “We are determined to deepen our engagement and to turn Rio Maior into a true Green Power Hub.”

This initiative reflects Neoen’s commitment to expanding renewable energy in Portugal while prioritizing environmental and community integration. The Rio Maior and Torre Bela solar farms contribute significantly to sustainable energy production and support Portugal’s clean energy goals.