“The objective is to be one of the first and, probably, one of the greatest to create and promote a Renewable Energy Community”, said the executive director (CEO) of Vilamoura World, João Brion Sanches.

The CERs are made up of a group of consumers who, through an energy production system and shared electricity grid, produce part or all of the electricity they consume.

The project foresees, in total and until 2035, the installation of around 60,000 m2 (square meters) of photovoltaic panels in Vilamoura, with an estimated annual production potential of 50,000 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to supply electricity to about 15,000 homes, according to a statement.

The production of renewable energy will avoid the emission of approximately 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year, the equivalent of planting about 80,000 trees every year.

Pioneering

In a first phase, until 2024, the Vilamoura CER will allow the production of 2,000 MWh of renewable energy per year, which translates into the supply of electricity to more than 1,000 families, in an initial reduction of around 450 tons of CO2 emissions.

“Our vision for Vilamoura, as the best destination in the Algarve to live, spend holidays and invest, also involves investing in sustainability. That's why we decided to go ahead with this ambitious project, which will apply to all our real estate projects and will extend to the already consolidated areas of Vilamoura”, said João Brion Sanches.

The concept of Renewable Energy Communities goes hand in hand with that of collective self-consumption, the difference between the two being in the type of management and investment made.

“This community is very pioneering, in the sense that there are very few in Portugal. All of this is very recent”.

Vilamoura World is the company responsible for promoting the residential and tourist lots within the 1,700 hectares of the development. It also owns the Vilamoura Marina, the largest in Portugal, with 825 moorings for boats.