The Sophia solar plant, which Lightsource BP wants to build in the Castelo Branco district, investing 590 million euros, will involve the felling of more than 1,500 protected trees, including holm oaks and cork oaks, but the company argues that the project will have an overall positive effect on the environment, with 27,000 trees of those species expected to be planted, 18 times the number that will be felled.
“The planting of 27 thousand new indigenous trees is a real commitment to the regeneration of the territory and the enhancement of the local natural heritage. We are replacing eucalyptus trees with cork oaks and holm oaks, creating ecological corridors and reinforcing the soil’s capacity to capture carbon”, commented, quoted in a statement released this Tuesday, the director of environmental planning at Lightsource BP, Pedro Fernandes.
According to the company, with the maturation of the plantations and associated compensation measures, it is estimated that “the carbon retention capacity in the project area will increase by around 225 thousand tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over the 40 years of exploration”.
The project, which Express had already been reported and that it will be one of the largest solar plants in the country if it comes to fruition, it will be in public consultation until November 20th on the portal Participatewhere it has already collected more than 1300 contributions, according to that portal’s count.
Lightsource BP argues that its project in the Castelo Branco district will allow the reforestation of 228 hectares, including 135 hectares that are currently occupied by eucalyptus trees.
The company also notes that the 421 cork oaks and 1,120 holm oaks to be felled are isolated and mostly young trees, with a diameter of less than 16 centimeters, and the stands of cork oaks and holm oaks “will be fully preserved”.
In terms of energy, the Sophia solar plant has a planned production of 1271 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, equivalent to almost 2.5% of Portugal’s annual electrical consumption, and enough to cover the consumption of 370 thousand homes.
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