More China-Portugal cooperation in solar energy expected, says expert

A worker works at a workshop of a photovoltaic modules manufacturer in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Feb. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Pedro Amaral Jorge, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN) praised the performance of Chinese photovoltaics (PV) products suppliers, and said that a majority of the 700 megawatts of PV products installed annually in Portugal are from China.

LISBON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A Portuguese solar expert highlighted the high quality of China-made solar products and expressed hope for increased Chinese investment in Portugal's solar energy sector in the future.

China and Portugal have been strengthening their cooperation in the solar energy sector, with many Chinese corporations supplying photovoltaics (PV) products for installation in Portugal, Pedro Amaral Jorge, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN), has told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He has also noted that large Chinese corporations have directly invested in Portugal by acquiring parts of the country's power companies.

A worker works at a workshop of a photovoltaic modules manufacturer in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Feb. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

Jorge praised the performance of Chinese suppliers, and said that a majority of the 700 megawatts of PV products installed annually in Portugal are from China.

He emphasized that the quality of Chinese products has been attested by member companies of APREN and by banks that provided capital for investments, which grant high-grade status to these Chinese suppliers.

Jorge highlighted that despite good qualities, the products offered by the Chinese suppliers are also very competitive in price.

Portugal has been developing rapidly solar energy generation since 2016 and has already installed a capacity of 2.2 gigawatts, according to Jorge.

"Portugal has competitive advantages over other European countries because it has more exposure to sunlight, being able to install panels throughout its territory, especially in the south with the highest solar irradiation in Europe," he said.

Portugal aims to install around eight gigawatts by 2026 or 2027, and reach 22 gigawatts in 2030, he said.

This aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows a view of floating photovoltaic power station in Lingwu, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

To achieve these goals, Portugal has developed a legal framework and favorable conditions for increasing solar energy production, said Jorge.

"To achieve the objectives set for increasing installed capacity, cooperation with China must increase," noted Jorge.

"For the future, I hope that there will also be Chinese investments for the manufacture of products in Europe aimed at the local market," he added.