Serving the hydro power and dam construction industries since 1949
The commissioning of the Pracana complex marks a first for Portugal, pairing an existing hydropower station with new onshore solar generation to boost capacity, optimise grid use and increase renewable electricity supply.
EDP has commissioned Portugal’s first onshore hybrid power project combining hydropower and solar energy. The 89MW Pracana complex is located in central Portugal and integrates a new solar plant with the existing Pracana Dam.
The project combines 48MW of photovoltaic capacity, based on around 90,000 solar panels, with 41MW of installed hydropower capacity at Pracana. The dam, located on the Ocreza River, was inaugurated in 1951. By sharing grid infrastructure, the hybrid configuration is designed to maximise renewable output while limiting additional environmental impact.
The Pracana complex is located in the municipalities of Mação and Proença-a-Nova, in the districts of Santarém and Castelo Branco respectively. EDP estimates the project will avoid approximately 35,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
According to the company, hybridisation allows additional renewable generation to be added using existing assets, particularly distribution networks, helping to reduce costs and mitigate the impact of lengthy permitting processes.
“Pracana is another milestone in our strategy: by combining hydropower and onshore solar, we reinforce system stability, accelerate the energy transition, and reduce territorial impact. It is EDP’s first project of this kind globally and proves that innovation and efficiency can go hand in hand,” said Pedro Vasconcelos, Executive Board Member of EDP and CEO of EDP Iberia.
Construction of the solar plant began in January 2025. Its estimated annual production is 87GWh. EDP reported that more than 30,000 working hours were completed without accidents during construction, with a peak workforce of 150 people.
Pracana is EDP’s sixth hybrid renewable project in Portugal and the 11th across the Iberian Peninsula. Together with the Golancz hybrid park in Poland, it brings the company’s total number of multi-technology projects in Europe to 12. In 2025, EDP also commissioned wind–solar hybrid projects at Charneca das Lebres in Aljezur and Las Lomillas in Cuenca. In Portugal, the company operates additional hydro–solar projects at Alto Rabagão in Montalegre and Alqueva in Moura.
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