Tâmega wind farms

This ambitious project, located on the River Tâmega, a tributary of the Douro located between Braga and Vila Real, will be the first to have a hybrid connection between hydroelectric and wind energy, sharing the same grid connection infrastructure at the Tâmega Electroproduction System substation.

What’s more, Iberdrola will avoid the emission of more than 230,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year with the construction of this wind farm, consolidating its leadership in electrification, promoting Portugal's energy independence and contributing significantly to the objectives of the country's National Energy and Climate Plan.

Comprising the Tâmega Norte and Tâmega Sur wind farms, the project is part of the agreement signed with the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management. It will also have a long-term supply agreement (PPA – Power Purchase Agreement).

It also reinforces the role of the Tamaega Eletroproduction System as an anchor for Portugal's electrification. Located between Braga and Vila Real, the farm will have 38 Vestas EnVentus V172 wind turbines – developed by Vestas and the largest and most powerful on the onshore wind market – with 7.2 MW each, 85 metre blades and a tower height of 114 metres. In total, it will produce 601 GWh per year.

In addition to avoiding the emission of 230,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, the project will have a significant economic impact, creating 700 direct jobs at its peak of construction and involving Portuguese companies such as CJR, Conduril, Socorpena, Painhas and Proef. The components are manufactured in different European countries, reinforcing the commitment to European industry and collaborative innovation.

The Tâmega gigabattery

The Tâmega hydroelectric project consists of three power stations: Gouvães, Daivões and Alto Tâmega. The three power stations have a combined installed capacity of 1,158 MW, representing a 6% increase in Portugal's total installed electrical power.

The complex is capable of producing 1,766 GWh per year, enough to meet the energy needs of neighbouring municipalities and the cities of Braga and Guimarães (440,000 households). What’s more, this large renewable infrastructure has a storage capacity of 40 million kWh, equivalent to the energy consumed by 11 million people in their homes over 24 hours.

Tâmega allows for diversification of production sources, avoiding the import of more than 160,000 tonnes of oil per year and the emission of 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year. It also promotes economic activity and employment in the region, as throughout the construction phase it has generated up to 3,500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs – 20% of which come from neighbouring municipalities – through more than 100 suppliers, 75 of which are Portuguese.

The project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) also includes various measures to compensate for ecological systems, such as the reforestation of more than 1,000 hectares, the planting of 17,000 cork oaks and actions to improve existing protected wildlife populations in the area.

Iberdrola inicia el montaje de aerogeneradores: el desafío logístico de transportar palas de 85 metros

Construction will continue until the third quarter of 2026 and Iberdrola will transport all the wind turbine material before the end of the first half of the year.

More than 110 blades will leave the port of Aveiro and in the final phase of transport to the construction/assembly area, transport will be carried out using an innovative system: a blade lift, a pioneering technology in Europe that allows the operation to be carried out safely.

This equipment allows the blades to be rotated vertically or horizontally using a hydraulic mechanism to which the blade is attached for transport, reaching inclinations of up to 60º. This allows it to negotiate sharp bends, slopes and other obstacles, adapting to existing roads.

This solution reduces environmental impact, avoiding changes to the road layout and ensuring safety throughout transport.

This project reinforces Iberdrola's leadership as the largest investor in renewable energy in Portugal over the last 10 years, with more than €2.2 billion invested and more than 1,400 MW already installed

The EIB supports Iberdrola in the construction of wind farms

Iberdrola and the EIB (European Investment Bank) have signed a €175 million green loan to support the construction of the Tâmega wind farms. The new EIB loan is backed by a guarantee from the Spanish export credit agency, Cesce.

This is the second Iberdrola operation financed by the EIB with a guarantee from Cesce to support green projects led by Spanish companies outside Spain, contributing to the European Union's climate action and environmental sustainability objectives. The first operation was the Windanker offshore wind farm, currently under construction in German waters in the Baltic Sea.

The Tâmega project also contributes significantly to the EIB Group's climate action objectives set out in its Strategic Roadmap for the period 2024 to 2027 and the second phase of the Climate Bank Roadmap for the period 2026 to 2030, as well as the EIB's action plan to support the REPowerEU programme, which aims to increase energy security and accelerate the energy transition by reducing the European Union's dependence on fossil fuel imports.