Renewable energy is crucial to ending energy dependence on fossil fuels, and Portugal is highly competitive in the sector, argues Pedro Amaral Jorge. According to the president of the Portuguese Association of Renewable Energy (APREN), the country has strong technical expertise, good universities and regulatory stability, which gives investors security.
The main difficulties are the delay in licencing renewable energy projects, the current electricity market design and the slow decarbonisation of energy consumption. Still, APREN highlights the ambition of the new version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC) regarding offshore wind: "It is a very important opportunity for the country."
What are APREN's current priorities, and how do you assess Portugal's commitment to renewable energy?
APREN's priority is to promote renewable energy. We try to contribute to national and European energy policies to increase the use of renewable energy, which includes participating in public consultations, collaborating with the government and other bodies, and proposing legislative and regulatory measures to accelerate the development of the sector.
We also advocate the efficient integration of renewable electricity into the Iberian electricity market and support the expansion of the geographical coverage, capillarity and modernisation of electricity distribution and transmission networks. We are also committed to educating and raising awareness of the importance of renewable energy.
In the area of innovation, we support research into the production of electricity and clean fuels from renewable energy sources and the development of new technologies. We also seek to strengthen international cooperation, both at the European and global level, to share knowledge, technologies, and best practices.
