Amareleja Photovoltaic Power Plant

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Beja > Moura > Amareleja > Central Solar Fotovoltaica da Amareleja

Location

Situated in the municipality of Moura, in Amareleja, the Photovoltaic Power Plant rises in the heart of Alentejo, a region marked by its vast and characteristic landscape. The installation occupies a considerable area, extending over approximately 250 hectares, where holly oaks and olive trees once stood. This location provides an expansive setting, now dominated by the immensity of solar panels, which fade into the Alentejo horizon.

The Plant's headquarters building, designed to integrate and dialogue with this new landscape, was positioned to offer a privileged view. Its north facade allows for observation of the entirety of the "solar trackers", creating a unique panorama over the installation and the technology employed.

The Scale of Solar Energy

The Amareleja Photovoltaic Power Plant stands out for its remarkable size and energy production capacity. Inaugurated in 2008, it was then recognized as the largest photovoltaic plant in the world in terms of installed power and production volume, a significant milestone for Portugal and for the renewable energy sector. Although its global position has changed with the emergence of new plants, Amareleja remains one of the largest and most relevant solar installations in the country.

With an initial capacity of 46.41 peak megawatts, the Plant annually generates about 93 gigawatt-hours of electricity. This production is sufficient to meet the energy needs of tens of thousands of homes, underscoring its fundamental role in the country's energy transition.

Innovation and Design in the Landscape

The imposing nature of the Plant is accentuated by the technology used and its visual impact. The installation integrates 2,520 azimuthal solar trackers, each equipped with 104 photovoltaic panels. These mechanical devices are designed to optimize solar energy capture, orienting the panels continuously, from sunrise to sunset, so they are always perpendicular to the sun's rays. The synchronized movement of these thousands of trackers gives the landscape a particular dynamism, a true "sea" of panels that move with the sun.

The architectural project for the headquarters building, designed by Quadrante Arquitectura, reflects an approach that blends tradition with contemporaneity. The building, predominantly white and with sloped roofs, integrates into the Alentejo landscape while standing out for its modernity. Its lines and the way it relates to the vast field of panels invite observation of the engineering and architecture present there.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt