PORTUGAL -- EPAL has invested €5 million in the construction of a plant that allows energy to be produced in the pipes that transport drinking water to Lisbon, the first WTP in the world to be 100% self-sustainable in energy without the use of photovoltaic panels. The investment is part of EPAL’s 0% Energy Program which aims to achieve energy neutrality by 2025.
Asseiceira WTP hydroelectric plant will produce electricity from turbines in the pipelines that transport water to Lisbon, allowing the WTP as well as Castelo do Bode Pumping Station to achieve energy neutrality, which, in addition to the environmental and economic benefits, allows increased reliability in stormy weather as the WTP and PS in Castelo do Bode will be supplied via a private underground powerline.
Within the EPAL 0% Energy project, several investments have already been put out to tender, such as the contract to increase energy efficiency (2.2 million euros) and a mini hydroelectric plant of 1.5 MW (4.9 million euros) at Asseiceira WTP as well as Telheiras Pumping Station (0.5 MW) and Parque das Nações (0.7 MW) Photovoltaic Power Plants (1.8 million euros).
The launch of the Energy and Emissions Control Centre tender was also approved as part of EPAL's digitization and decarbonization strategy, an investment of over 2.5 million euros, allowing increased efficiency in monitoring consumption, performance and production of electricity, combined with energy storage activities in EPAL's reservoirs and monitoring and emissions associated with electricity consumption.
EPAL recently launched the tender for the photovoltaic power plants at Vale da Pedra WTP (0.65 MW) and Capada de Valada Tejo (0.85 kW). And by September, it will launch tenders for Amadora Pumping Station (1.5 MW) and Olivais Pumping Station (0.6 MW) photovoltaic plants. The total investment is around 5 million euros.
A second mini hydroelectric plant of 1.6 MW, wind turbines planned in the EPAL 0% Program and the renewal of pump groups, installing a group with premium efficiency in one of the largest national pumping stations, Vila Franca de Xira Pumping Station, are in the early stages of preparation of public tenders.
POSEUR (Operational Program for Sustainability and Efficient Use of Resources) considered projects to improve energy efficiency and comfort in the head office and Parque das Nações buildings, with a total value of 2.3 million euros, eligible for 50% financing.
Because the neutrality programmer’s success depends to a great extent on EPAL employees and the change required by this new paradigm, Academia da Águas Livres is promoting advanced training within the scope of the PERSA (Water Sector Renewable Energy Program) course with the aim of supporting this change management process, training human resources.
The neutrality program is thus underway, reinforcing EPAL's operational sustainability.
It is important to mention that the €19 M already under tender and planned by September is part of a global investment of around 70 million euros that EPAL is making under the 0% Energy Program.
EPAL's 0% Energy Program served as an inspiration and started Águas de Portugal group’s Zero Program, which was publicly presented in early August 2020.
