At issue is a project licensed by the Municipal Council of Peniche, in the district of Leiria, for the installation of a solar power plant on 13 hectares of land in the parish of Atouguia da Baleia.

According to the councils, the 13 hectares of land in the parish of Atouguia da Baleia, where almost 18 thousand photovoltaic modules are intended to be installed, “are the entry and exit gate” for visitors to the city and the beaches of Peniche, which will be faced with “a sparkling black block every time they pass between the Porto de Lobos and Supertubos roundabouts, or between the Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem and Baleal roundabouts”.

The councils also claim that there is an “additional impact on anyone traveling on the road planned for construction in the PDM [Municipal Master Plan] between Porto de Lobos and the Peniche-Baleal road or even making the intention to build this road unfeasible”.

“It is common sense that this project be designed for another location and that construction be refused on that land, which is a National Ecological Reserve and has a special landscape and natural sensitivity as it corresponds to the Isthmus of Peniche”, reads the note from the parish councils who insist on the “clear opposition” to the installation of the project that they consider “a true black scar that will tarnish the natural beauty” of the municipality.

The photovoltaic plant represents an investment of 5.6 million euros, promoted by Hyperion Renewables to install eight Small Production Units with a power of 8000 kilowatts using solar energy, according to the project description.

The almost 18 thousand photovoltaic modules will produce 16 gigawatts/hour per year, equivalent to the consumption of almost eight thousand homes, avoiding the emission of more than nine thousand tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared to the same amount of electricity produced from natural gas or coal.

The project is located in a National Ecological Reserve area, but its implementation is considered compatible with the objectives of ecological and environmental protection and prevention and reduction of natural risks.

According to the promoters, the negative impacts of the project are temporary and of little relevance in terms of geology, soils, climate, air quality, hydrogeological system and water resources, ecosystems, and waste.