Construction of the hydroelectric complex
Iberdrola, in collaboration with the Portuguese administration, has synchronised the first 220MW turbine at the Gouvães hydroelectric power plant – part of the Tâmega giga battery – delivering clean power to the grid for the first time.
The Tâmega complex is one of Europe’s largest energy storage facilities with an investment of more than €1.5 billion. It comprises three reservoirs (Gouvães, Daivões and Alto Tâmega) and three hydroelectric power plants with 1158MW capacity on the Tâmega river, a tributary of the Douro.
After eight years of construction work, the Gouvães and Daivões plants have now been completed and all of the generating units are currently undergoing commissioning tests, with the plants expected to be fully operational in the middle of this year. Tâmega will be able to produce 1,766 GWh per year, enough to meet the energy needs of neighbouring municipalities and the cities of Braga and Guimarães (440,000 households). In 2024, with the commissioning of Alto Tâmega, the facility will be fully completed.
The project development is boosting economic activity and employment in the region. Throughout the construction phase, 3500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs have been created, 20 % of which from neighbouring municipalities.
Gouvães Reservoir
