WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version
WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version
WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version
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4.3.8 Portugal<br />
European Small Hydropower Association, Stream Map<br />
Key facts<br />
Population 10,781,459<br />
Area 92,090 km 2<br />
Climate Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in<br />
north, warmer and drier in south 1<br />
Topography Mountainous north of the Tagus River,<br />
rolling plains in the south.<br />
Rain Pattern In the north average rainfall is 1,250<br />
mm to 1,500 mm, with occasional<br />
snowfall. In the centre rainy winters<br />
with 500 mm to 750 mm average<br />
annual rainfall. In the south rainfall<br />
does not exceed 500 mm along the<br />
coast.<br />
Electricity sector overview<br />
The total national electricity production of Portugal<br />
was 54,048 GWh in 2010, with thermal energy<br />
dominating the electricity mix (figure 1). Two subsystems<br />
exist, the public electricity system (PES) and<br />
the independent electricity system (IES). The PES is<br />
obliged to assure the supply of electricity to the<br />
continental territory. The Portuguese National<br />
Transmission Network is interconnected with the<br />
Spanish Electricity Network at nine points. Since 2007,<br />
the joint Iberian electricity market was established<br />
between the two countries, known as Mercado<br />
per cent of its final energy consumption by renewable<br />
energies.<br />
According to the National Renewable Energy Action<br />
Plan (NREAP), small hydropower should contribute<br />
1,511 GWh in 2020, corresponding to a total installed<br />
capacity of 750 MW – an increase of around 300 MW.<br />
For this purpose, the NREAP projected the definition<br />
of a specific plan for small hydropower to develop the<br />
existing potential. However, no plan is in place yet and<br />
the identified barriers have not been mitigated.<br />
Legislation on small hydropower<br />
There is no regulation published on establishing<br />
residual flow. Yet, there are indications that the<br />
ecological flow in Portugal should be, on average, 5-10<br />
per cent of the modular flow. Also, this flow should be<br />
variable during the year to enable a better adjustment<br />
to the differences in the natural hydrological regime<br />
and to the spawning seasons. The residual flow would<br />
be the sum of the ecological flow with flow necessary<br />
for the existing uses as irrigation and water supply. 4<br />
In Portugal, the support scheme in place for small<br />
hydropower is its feed-in tariff (FIT). The Decree-Law<br />
225/2007 indicates an average reference FIT of 7.5-7.7<br />
euro cents/kWh, with a limit to the first 52 GWh/MW<br />
or up to 20 years, whichever is reached first. It could<br />
be increased to 25 years in exceptional cases. In 2010,<br />
a new tariff was defined by the Decree-Law 126/2010<br />
specifying for the public tender launched in that year:<br />
9.5 euro cents/kWh, up to 25 years. 4<br />
51.72%<br />
PV 0.31%<br />
Geothermal 0.36%<br />
Wind<br />
16.99%<br />
Hydro<br />
30.62%<br />
Thermal<br />
Ibérico de Electricidade. 3<br />
0% 20% 40% 60%<br />
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Portugal<br />
Source: Statistics Portugal 2<br />
Small hydropower sector overview and potential<br />
In 2010, Portugal had 155 small hydropower plants<br />
with a total installed capacity of 450 MW generating<br />
1,370 GWh (figure 2). By 2020, the aim is to have 250<br />
plants with a total installed capacity of 750 MW (2,032<br />
GWh). 4<br />
SHP installed<br />
capacity<br />
SHP potential<br />
450 MW<br />
750 MW<br />
0 200 400 600 800 1000<br />
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Portugal<br />
Renewable energy policy<br />
Portugal aims for a-60 per cent renewable share for its<br />
electricity generation by 2020 in order to satisfy 31<br />
Barriers to small hydropower development<br />
In 2012, the Decree-Law 25/2012 was published,<br />
ceasing the award of connections to the grid for all<br />
projects of power plants under Special Regime. A<br />
month later, the Dispatch 3316/2012 came into<br />
power, applying the referred Decree-Law specifically<br />
to the small hydropower sector. This meant that not<br />
only ‘freezing’ of all projects, but also invalidating all<br />
private initiatives pending on the authorities<br />
responsible for the licensing of these power plants.,<br />
Out of the approximately 700 MW small hydropower<br />
potential to be installed and the 250 MW projected<br />
potential referred to in the Cabinet Resolution<br />
72/2010 and Decree-Law 126/2010, until now only<br />
150 MW were made available for development. So far<br />
only a few projects have actually taken off, while the<br />
rest are still undergoing environmental impact<br />
studies. Due to these changes in support, uncertainty<br />
exists among developers regarding the possibilities of<br />
developing new small hydropower plants in Portugal.<br />
With respect to public support and social acceptance<br />
of small hydropower development, there is no major<br />
opposition at the moment to small hydropower.<br />
Further progress can be made in the area of licensing: 4<br />
380
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