1. Wind Energy in Portugal
Susana Batel (University Institute of Lisbon – ISCTE-IUL)
Wind Energy in Portugal

2. 1. 2020 EU goals Source: EC, Eurostat, 2005-2015
Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, by country, 2005 and 2015
31% goal for 2020
Source: EC, Eurostat,

3. 2. The Portuguese context in more detail
First wind farm built in 1988 in Santa Maria, Azores
Boom in 2001, with city councils benefitting from a 2.5% share of income from wind farms located there
Often built on sparsely populated mountains or in enclaves along urban centers near the coast
Megaprojects = Alto Minho Wind Park “the biggest in Europe” (120 turbines and 240 MW installed capacity)
Created a wind turbine industry that has become an exporting sector (IEA, 2016; Bento & Fontes, 2015)
Supported through the adoption of feed-in tariffs, direct subsidy payments and tax incentives
Main producer is former energy utility EDP
Source: INEGI, 2017
Source: IEA, 2016

4. 2. The Portuguese context in more detail
Economic crisis
e.g., Only 19MW have been licensed
Currently quite saturated, mainly repowering projects
Social acceptance:
Controversies mainly related with wind farms in protected areas (e.g., Natura 2000), proposed top-down
Lack of transparency and involvement one of the main reasons for protest (Delicado et al., 2013)
Contestation mainly from environmental NGO’s; rural populations mainly perceive them as allowing to extract livelihoods (Afonso & Mendes, 2015)
Renewable energies as part of new national narrative and identity? (Batel et al., 2017)

5. 2. The Portuguese context in more detail
November 2016 > Industrial Strategy and Action Plan for Ocean Renewable Energies (EI-ERO): for generating until million € in added value, 254 million € of investment and 1500 new direct jobs

6. 3. The future IEA recommendations:
Reduce the tariff deficit;
Development of key infrastructure development (i.e., interconnectors with France) to facilitate renewable energy integration and security of supply
Offshore wind generation and industry

7. Obrigada! susana.batel@iscte-iul.pt