The Algarve opens two new solar energy parks
The Algarve is set become the host of two new solar energy parks, one will be in Silves and the other will be in Albufeira, and they are expected to produce enough electricity to supply more than seventeen thousand people, starting this September.
Now that may seem a bit weird but keep in mind that this is the Algarve, this is the region that sees on average three-hundred sunny days per year, so a solar energy park opening in September is nothing strange. Actually the Algarve is by far one of the best European regions where such projects can exist.
The parks, which are located in Alvalades and Ferreiras will be officially inaugurated on the 25th of September, but according to the spokesman for the Martifer Solar company – the one responsible for both the park projects, they’ve already been connected to the power grid.
The Alvalades Park will occupy an area of 41.3 hectares and features a bit over sixty thousand modules which will produce 15.6 MWp of electricity. The construction of the park created two hundred jobs, but its maintenance will only require a bit over a dozen.
The Ferreiras Park is considerably smaller, 16.1 hectares with only 28,320 solar panels, capable of producing 6.8 MWp of electricity; this one required eighty workers to be built.
When taken together, the parks will cut an approximate 14,154 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, and the electricity that will be produced being the equivalent of the domestic use for 17,500 people. The electricity produced will be fed into the national grid, as is required by law, and thus it will be available for public consumption.
While Martifer Solar built the parks, it is BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners who will be running and maintaining the solar arrays.
