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Renewable energy and data centre debates in Brazil and PT

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2026-08-28 01:21 UTC → 2026-08-29 12:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Renewable energy developments in Brazil and Portugal have progressed through new regulatory and project-specific milestones. In Brazil, the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Empresa de Pesquisa Energética released a standardized three-step procedure to select offshore wind development areas based on technical, economic, and socio-environmental criteria. In Portugal, efforts to expand renewable capacity include the Southwest Wind Park project in Santiago do Cacém, which has entered a public consultation phase. This project involves 23 turbines and a lithium-battery storage system intended to power a new data centre. Building on previous efforts to accelerate licensing, the Portuguese government has approved the Sectoral Program for Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (PSZAER), or the ‘Green Map’. Managed by the ‘Renewable Energy Project Licensing Task Force’ (EMER 2030), the program identifies over 800 priority areas for solar and wind projects to align with the EU’s RED III directive. However, the energy strategy is facing intensified debate as the country attracts significant investment in data centres. ~~Former Secretary~~ The Sines Data Centre Campus, an 8.5 billion euro project operated by Start Campus, is a central component of ~~State for the Environment José Eduardo Martins has warned that renewable production may be insufficient~~ Portugal’s strategy to ~~meet~~ become a European hub. Once operational, the ~~massive increase~~ campus could account for approximately 22% of Portugal’s total electricity consumption in ~~demand, potentially making nuclear energy an “inevitable necessity”.~~ 2025. Environmental organizations, such as Zero, have raised alarms that the strategy lacks sufficient guarantees for climate transition and resource management. In Abrantes, the association Quercus has ~~raised alarms over two major data centre projects, warning they~~ warned that mega-data centres could consume up to 19 times the annual electricity currently used by the municipality. ~~Additionally, local opposition is mounting against biomethane plants in Alenquer and Torres Novas due to concerns~~ Former Secretary of State for the Environment José Eduardo Martins has suggested that if the government pursues this expansion, the discussion regarding ~~odors, water consumption, and air quality.~~ nuclear energy may become an “inevitable necessity” to meet the surging demand.

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