Chinese Firm Plans 2.1 Million Solar Panels Across Portugal's Alentejo Region

Chinese company Chint Solar is planning a renewable energy complex in Portugal's Alentejo region that would include more than 2.1 million solar panels, alongside roughly 900 megawatts (MW) of battery storage.

The project, reported locally by Negocios, would involve approximately 2.17 million photovoltaic panels rated at 580 watt-peak each, spread across roughly 2,616 hectares of land. Of that area, around 585 hectares would be directly occupied by the panels themselves. Projected annual electricity output stands at around 1,900 gigawatt-hours (GWh).

Electricity generated at the site would feed into Portugal's public grid through a new high-voltage switching substation planned for construction in the municipality of Portel.

Chint Solar declined to disclose a total investment figure, citing uncertainty over the project's final scope as it moves through the licensing process. A source connected to the company indicated it expects to spend around €13.5 million by the time licensing concludes, with a further €122 million allocated to grid-connection infrastructure.

Chint cited the availability of large tracts of land in Alentejo as a key factor behind the site selection, alongside the region's high solar irradiation and existing transmission corridors.

The project, known locally as Alqueva-P, arrives amid mounting pushback against the scale of renewable development already proposed across Alentejo.

Portugal's government is currently consulting on a so-called Green Map, a list of more than 1,300 areas earmarked for fast-tracked renewable energy licensing and approvals, a proposal that has drawn criticism from several municipalities.

Chint Solar is the European arm of Shanghai-based Chint Group, which secured a €420 million guarantee facility over the past year to build 5.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity across the Iberian Peninsula.

The company is separately pursuing the Pinel Hybrid Project nearby, combining a 339 megawatt-peak (MWp) photovoltaic park, a 310 MW battery system, and two wind turbines across land straddling Vidigueira and Portel.

Alentejo already hosts more than half of Portugal's utility-scale solar additions, drawn by high irradiation levels and comparatively low land costs. That concentration has begun to strain regional infrastructure.

The Ferreira do Alentejo substation reached 95% utilisation in 2024, forcing developers to fund their own upgrades, while grid connection queues across the region have stretched beyond eighteen months. Portugal's national grid operator REN has committed between €1.5 billion and €1.7 billion toward addressing the backlog, though officials do not expect it to clear fully before 2027.

Whether the Chint project proceeds as proposed will depend on the outcome of Portugal's Environmental Impact Assessment process and the broader public and political response to the country's expanding pipeline of large-scale solar developments.