“The installation of the Cabril floating photovoltaic plant project will have a very serious negative impact on the municipality of Pedrógão Grade and on the territories (neighbouring municipalities)”, reads a document prepared by municipal services.

The project covers Pedrógão Grande (Leiria district), Sertã (Castelo Branco), and Pampilhosa da Serra (Coimbra), municipalities that share the Cabril reservoir.

According to the document, inherent to the floating photovoltaic plant, an overhead electrical line of around 36 kilometres will be built, covering several municipalities.

“The villages that characterise the built heritage of Pedrógão Grande and that are close to this water line could see depopulation increase”, he added, admitting that “they appear to be at risk, as with the proposal to install floating photovoltaic panels (as well as with the energy transmission line that leaves there) it is certain that the visual landscape will change drastically”.

The document, which analysed several aspects, including spatial planning, civil protection, water resources, and financial profitability, also points to a violation of the Municipal Master Plan and the Albufeira Planning Plan.

Recognizing that it is at a “crucial stage in which the priority is to decarbonize”, the municipality considered, however, that “it should not be carried out at any cost, nor should it jeopardize strategic resources for the development of the municipality”.

“Decarbonizing is an important process, however, it cannot occur by carbonizing the economy of one of the rural and weakest regions in the country”, he pointed out, arguing that the floating solar plant “does not represent an added value for the municipality”.