Lisbon’s €500M sustainable investment package
Lisbon’s dynamic new mayor is to find €500 million to invest in the Portuguese capital to make it “a sustainable city”.
The former property consultant and EU commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, has pledged to put in solar and electrical vehicle systems as a priority for the city which was European Green Capital in 2020.
The centre-right PSD City Hall candidate who was elected mayor in 2021 as a rank outsider in an otherwise Socialist landscape in Portugal after recent elections in January brought the PS party back to power, now says he will not only try and fulfil his ambitions to make Lisbon a start-up capital in Europe through a new Lisbon startup incubator; he will now press ahead with his election pledge strategy “A Sustainable City”.
Carlos Moedas, who will unveil more about his strategy when he addresses the American Chamber of Commerce on 10 February. (Thursday), will enact this, one of six strategic development plans which according to the newspaper Diário de Notícias foresees an investment of €496 million which are laid out in the city’s Big Plan Options 2022-2026 which was approved at the Lisbon City Council’s municipal assembly at the end of January.
This document outlines the Lisboa Solar project which includes a huge solar park on the outskirts of the capital – Carnide Photovoltaic Centre – with a completion date slated for December 2024.
The aim of the project is to harness the city’s solar power by installing Self-Consumption Solar Production Units on the city council’s buildings and public amenities to meet part of its current energy needs, installing solar systems (thermal, photovoltaic and hybrid) for hot water heating in bathrooms, electricity for public and private residential and commercial buildings, with an emphasis on schools and social housing.
The municipal council also plans to renovate the city’s pubic lighting network, implement telemanagement solutions, introducing LED system technology, and with the car parks management company EMEL widen the network of electrical vehicle charging posts covering all neighbourhoods in the city.