Portugal Works Towards 3 GW Battery Storage Target by 2030
Portugal aims to increase its battery storage capacity to 3 GW by 2030, up from the initial target of 2 GW, as part of its National Energy and Climate Plan.
Portugal is working towards a 3 GW battery storage target by 2030, according to the Portuguese Association Of Renewable Energy (APREN). The country's National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC 2030) initially set a target of 2 GW, but a more recent National Energy Storage Strategy has raised the target.
The majority of Portugal's installed large-scale storage capacity is pumped-hydro storage, standing at 2.8 GW by the end of last year. APREN's statistics also show that pumped hydro accounted for approximately 8.3% of electricity generation in mainland Portugal last year. The country's National Energy Storage Strategy targets further expansion of the technology, with goals of reaching 3.9 GW of pumped hydro capacity by 2030, before increasing to 5.26 GW by 2040.
| **Technology** | **Target Capacity 2030** | **Target Capacity 2040** | | --- | --- | --- | | Pumped-hydro | 3.9 GW | 5.26 GW | | Battery storage | 3 GW | 4.5 GW |
APREN's Policy and Market Intelligence Coordinator, Susana Serôdio, stated that the outlook for storage in Portugal is "positive", with deployments set to increase in the coming years. However, she noted that progress will depend on the speed of licensing and project delivery, access to the grid, and the creation of sufficiently stable revenue streams.
To support the country's storage rollout, Portugal has planned two competitive procedures for September. The first procedure will allocate up to 750 MVA of grid capacity to standalone storage facilities, while the second will allocate up to 300 MVA to new renewable generation projects with co-located storage. These tenders represent 1.05 GW of new grid-connected capacity.
A tender to expand pumped-hydro storage is also envisaged, subject to discussions with the European Commission regarding state aid rules. Serôdio added that the creation of a capacity market for batteries is also planned.
The Portuguese government has identified a lithium-ion battery factory planned by Chinese battery maker CALB as a project of national interest. The factory is targeting an annual capacity of 15 GWh and has obtained special grid access rights.
The outlook for storage in Portugal is therefore positive, but progress will depend on several factors. APREN's analysis suggests that the country is on track to meet its storage targets, but the success of these plans will depend on the speed of project delivery and the creation of stable revenue streams.
