"I am very impressed with the remarkable work that Portugal has done in areas like clean energy, where we think we can work harder. "
Barack Obama, Lisbon, December 2010
Leading the green wave
The renewable energy sector represents a major importance for Portugal. With an objective of 31% of renewable energy in final consumption, Portugal has the 5th most ambitious target among EU countries. In 2010, more than 50% of our electricity consumption came from renewable energy sources.
The use of renewable energies contribute to annual savings of EUR 1,270 million (USD 1,730 million) thus reducing the national balance of trade by avoiding imports of 21.000GWh of electric energy.
As far as the environmental impact, the use of renewable based energies avoids the emission of 9 million tons of CO2, which brings the country closer to the targets established by the European Union.
Portugal is a world leader in this sector with technological advanced companies and ambitious public policies which enabled MOBI.E project’s (the national program for electric mobility) to be accepted as an exhibitor for the 2011 SAE World Congress, the essential automotive technology event that will take place on April in Detroit (Michigan) and was also a reference in World Future Energy Summit “WFES” 2011 in Abu Dhabi , the world’s foremost and must-attend annual meeting for the renewable energy and environment industry.
Portugal’s Strategic Priorities:
Portugal created a Strategic Plan for Energy which established the following goals:
- Increase the electricity production through renewable energies in order to reach 60% in 2020.
- Achieve the target of 31% of consumption from renewable energies, within the global energy consumption.
- Strength the offer of energy based on own natural resources: wind, water and sun (to consolidate the industrial cluster of wind energy and create new clusters associated to new technologies from renewable energies: achieve a GVA of EUR €3,800 million (USD $5,140 million).
- Reduce the external energetic dependency down to 74% in 2020.
- Reduce the energy import balance in 25%.
- Develop the industry supplier of equipment and services.
Key facts:
- Portugal has the 2nd largest wind farm in Europe (Parque do Alto do Minho)
- World Largest Photovoltaic Central, within urban environment.
- Pioneer in the Electric Mobility National Network (MOBI.E project).
- The Portuguese group EDP is the fourth company in the world in renewable energy and the 3rd in USA where it operates 27 wind farms under the name of “EDP Renewables North America”.
- Very innovative companies in telemetry, intelligent grids and energy efficiency