EDP brings into operation Portugal’s first onshore hydro and solar energy project
The new 89 MW complex combines 90,000 solar panels with the Pracana hydroelectric facility in the centre of the country and will generate enough energy to supply around 51,800 households, taking advantage of hybridisation to maximise the use of the distribution network and renewable resources.
EDP has brought into operation a hybrid generation project combining hydropower and onshore solar – the first of its kind for the group worldwide and also in Portugal with this combination of renewable technologies. The Pracana complex, located in central Portugal, will deliver 89 MW of capacity, marking another significant step for the energy sector and reinforcing the company’s commitment to the energy transition.
The new hybrid park is located in the municipalities of Mação and Proença-a-Nova, in the districts of Santarém and Castelo Branco respectively, and will generate enough energy to supply around 51,800 households while avoiding the emission of approximately 35,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. It combines a photovoltaic solar plant, with 90,000 panels and a capacity of 48 MW, with the existing hydroelectric infrastructure at the Pracana dam on the Ocreza River, inaugurated in 1951 and with a capacity of 41 MW. This historic infrastructure combines its legacy with multi-technology innovation, an area in which EDP has been a pioneer.
The group’s investment in hybridisation enables increased renewable energy production through existing infrastructure, particularly distribution networks, reducing operating costs and minimising environmental impact, while strengthening generation capacity in a context of lengthy licensing processes.
The new solar plant, now integrated with the dam, began construction in January 2025, and its estimated annual solar energy production is 87 GWh. The project also stands out for its high safety and social responsibility standards: more than 30,000 hours of work were recorded without accidents, with a peak of 150 workers involved during the construction phase.
Pracana is EDP’s sixth hybrid project in Portugal, the 11th in the Iberian Peninsula and, together with the Golancz hybrid park in Poland, brings the group’s multi-technology projects in Europe to 12. In 2025, EDP also commissioned two wind-solar hybrid parks – Charneca das Lebres in Aljezur, Portugal, and Las Lomillas in Cuenca, Spain. In Portugal, EDP also operates two projects combining hydropower and floating solar – Alto Rabagão in Montalegre and Alqueva in Moura.
Pracana (Santarém - Portugal)
• Onshore solar: 48 MW capacity – 87 GWh/year – 90,000 photovoltaic modules
• Hydropower: 41 MW capacity – 53 GWh/year
• Combined total: 89 MW capacity and 140 GWh/yearo