- Endesa will create up to 75 new direct jobs in Abrantes until the project starts, scheduled for 2025.
- All direct workers at the coal-fired plant who have stopped, or will stop work in the coming months as a result of the closure, will be a priority for Endesa when it comes to filling the new jobs that will be created.
Endesa opened its new offices in Abrantes. In this first stage of operation, the company contracted the first former workers of the coal-fired thermal power plant that closed down in 2021.
It will be precisely from this office in Abrantes where Endesa will develop the Pego Renewable Project, with an investment of approximately €600 million for the installation of new solar (365 MWp) and wind (264 MW) capacity in a hybridisation regime supported by a storage system with batteries with a total capacity of 168.6 MW.
This will involve Endesa creating up to 75 new direct jobs in Abrantes until the project starts, scheduled for 2025.
All direct workers at the coal plant affected by the closure in 2021 will be considered a priority for Endesa to cover these new jobs in Abrantes, including those who are still working at the plant on pre-dismantling, and who may lose their jobs in the coming months as a result of the closure.
"The incorporation of these first workers represents a very important step in fulfilling our commitment to people and the region, as well as signalling the beginning of a new stage of development in this important project for the future," said Pedro Almeida Fernandes, Endesa's Manager of Generation in Portugal.
Endesa in Portugal
Currently, Endesa is developing more than 830 MW of renewable energy projects in Portugal with access and connection to the grid already granted. Of these 479 MWp correspond to conventional solar photovoltaic power, 43.5 MWp to floating solar photovoltaic power and 312 MW to wind farms.
All these projects include battery storage, totalling approximately 237 MW, including Europe's largest battery pack, 168 MW with two hours capacity, within the Pego project.
All together, these 3 projects represent an investment of more than €800 million, to be completed by 2026, which shows the essential role of Portugal in the company's business.
This investment by Endesa is divided between 3 Projects:
- The Pereiro photovoltaic installation, 114 MWp in the Algarve, corresponding to the 2020 auction, which will be in operation in 2024;
- The Pego hybrid project, with a total of 365 MWp of solar photovoltaic energy, 264 MW of wind energy, 168 MW of batteries and a 500 kW green hydrogen electrolyser, in the Abrantes Region. This project was the winner of the Fair Transition auction called after the closure of the Pego coal-fired plant, and will be operational by 2025;
- The Alto Rabagão project, in Montalegre, from the floating solar energy auction held in 2022, which will be in operation by 2026 and also includes the hybridisation of installed renewable solar and wind energy with a total of 91.5 MW and 49 MW batteries.
These 3 innovative projects take advantage of progressive Portuguese legislation with regard to energy in order to hybridise different renewable energy and storage technologies to maximise the usefulness of the connection capacity entrusted to us.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR-related matters. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.