EDP completes unique hybrid project in the Iberian Peninsula at Pracana
The Pracana hybrid park is now fully operational, integrating hydropower and ground-mounted solar generation within a single renewable energy complex. With a combined installed capacity of 89 MW, the project brings together a 48 MW solar plant and a 41 MW hydropower plant that has been operating since 1951 on the Ocreza River, in central Portugal.
Pracana is EDP’s first project worldwide to combine hydropower and ground-mounted solar generation, as well as the first and only complex of its kind in Iberia. The park demonstrates the potential of hybridisation to add new renewable capacity by combining technologies with complementary generation profiles while making use of existing infrastructure and grid connection capacity.
Located between the municipalities of Mação and Proença-a-Nova, in the districts of Santarém and Castelo Branco respectively, the complex has the capacity to generate around 140 GWh of renewable energy per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 51,800 households, while avoiding around 35,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
The new solar component comprises around 90,000 photovoltaic modules, with an installed capacity of 48 MW and estimated annual generation of 87 GWh. It complements the Pracana hydropower plant, which has been operating since 1951 and has an installed capacity of 41 MW and average annual generation of around 53 GWh.
The complementary nature of the two technologies makes it possible to optimise the use of existing infrastructure. While solar generation is concentrated mainly during periods of higher irradiation, hydropower adds operational flexibility, enabling generation to be managed over time. By sharing grid injection capacity, the two technologies can increase renewable generation without the need for a new grid connection point or an increase in the existing maximum injection capacity.
The completion of Pracana reinforces EDP’s commitment to hybridisation as one of the most innovative solutions for accelerating the integration of renewable energy and increasing the flexibility of the electricity system. In the Iberian Peninsula, the company currently has 11 hybrid projects with more than 1 GW of combined installed capacity across Portugal and Spain, bringing together different combinations of hydropower, wind, ground-mounted solar, floating solar and energy storage.
In Portugal, Pracana is EDP’s sixth hybrid project. It joins Alto Rabagão and Alqueva, which combine hydropower and floating solar, as well as Mina de Orgueirel, Monte de Vez and Charneca das Lebres, which combine wind and ground-mounted solar generation. In Spain, EDP has a further five hybrid projects. Beyond the Iberian Peninsula, EDP’s hybridisation strategy also extends to other markets, with projects in Poland, the United States, Chile and Singapore combining different renewable technologies and energy storage solutions.
A historic asset ready for a new chapter
Pracana’s energy story began in 1951, when the hydropower plant entered operation. Seventy-five years later, the site is entering a new phase with the integration of ground-mounted solar generation. Construction of the new solar plant began in January 2025, the substation was energised in December that year, and the first solar kWh was generated on 19 December 2025. The different components were progressively brought into operation throughout 2026, and the complex is now fully operational.
Pracana’s evolution illustrates a new phase in the use of renewable assets: not only building new capacity, but also transforming and optimising existing infrastructure, combining different technologies to generate more renewable energy and use the grid more efficiently.
Pracana in numbers
- Total installed capacity: 89 MW
- Estimated annual generation: 140 GWh
- Ground-mounted solar: 48 MW | 87 GWh/year | around 90,000 modules
- Hydropower: 41 MW | 53 GWh/year
- Equivalent consumption: around 51,800 households
- Avoided emissions: around 35,000 tonnes of CO₂/year