EDP installs one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic parks in Portugal at Riopele
Riopele, in partnership with EDP, has inaugurated a new photovoltaic park, reinforcing the company's commitment to sustainability and the energy transition. This initiative joins the plant already in operation since 2019 and marks an important step forward in the production of renewable energy in the textile industry.
Considered one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic parks in Portugal, Riopele will be EDP's first customer to install photovoltaic panels on the façade of the building, reinforcing its commitment to innovation with an additional investment in the construction of a car park covered with photovoltaic panels. With around 8,000 photovoltaic panels installed on a roof area of 22,000 m², these new plants have an environmental impact equivalent to planting more than 53,000 trees.
The project represents an investment of more than 5 million euros, partially financed by the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) and aims to significantly reduce the company's carbon footprint.
“This partnership with EDP represents another step in the realization of Riopele's strategy. In this way, we accelerate our pace of decarbonization, making our contribution to environmental sustainability. At the same time, we reduce our dependence on external factors and the consequent fluctuations in one of the main costs of our operation, bringing predictability and stability to the business,” said José Alexandre Oliveira, Chairman of Riopele.
The plant has an installed capacity of 4.5 MWp, capable of generating 5.8 MWh per year, increasing the percentage of renewable electricity used by Riopele from 3% to 12% of its total consumption. This increase in green energy production will allow the company to reduce CO2 emissions by around 1,175 tons per year.
The president of Riopele also pointed out that this is just the start of a series of sustainable investments in partnership with EDP. “In the coming months, we will start building another photovoltaic plant with a capacity of over 3 MWp, which will bring us ever closer to our goal of zero environmental impact by 2027, the year we celebrate the company's centenary.”
“Portugal has huge competitive advantages compared to other European countries to position itself at the forefront of the energy transition. It is therefore with pride that we see one of Portugal's largest exporters investing in decarbonization through local solar energy production, setting an example for the rest of the Portuguese business community. This is yet another project that proves that decentralized renewable energy production will be one of the fundamental axes for achieving our country's carbon neutrality targets”, highlights António Araújo, part of EDP Comercial management team.
Decentralized solar energy is expected to account for around 50% of new solar capacity globally in the coming years. With more than a decade of experience in distributed solar energy projects in the four global regions in which it operates, this has become one of EDP's fastest growing business segments. The company intends to invest 17 billion euros in the energy transition by 2026, of which 2.5 billion euros will be invested in distributed solar energy projects for families and companies, thus making a decisive contribution to the energy transition.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by various entities, including the president of IAPMEI, José Pulido Valente, and the mayor of Vila Nova de Famalicão, Mário Passos, who highlighted Riopele's pioneering role in adopting innovative and sustainable solutions in the industrial sector.
With this new step, Riopele reinforces its commitment to decarbonizing the industry, implementing responsible environmental practices in line with global sustainability and energy efficiency goals.