Portugal Orders Study to Turn Abandoned Mines Into Renewable Energy Hubs

The Portuguese government has commissioned a national study to assess whether the country's abandoned mining sites can be repurposed as renewable energy production centres — an initiative that the Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho described as an opportunity to "transform environmental liabilities into strategic assets."

The study, authorised through Despacho n.º 4217/2026 published in the Diário da República on March 31, will be coordinated by LNEG (the National Laboratory for Energy and Geology) in partnership with EDM (Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro), the state entity responsible for the environmental recovery of former mining concessions.

The final report is due within 120 days, placing the deadline in late July 2026.

What the Study Will Assess

LNEG has been tasked with evaluating each site's suitability for:

• Solar photovoltaic installations
• Wind energy generation
• Energy storage systems
• Other technologies adapted to local conditions

The study will also analyse grid connection capacity at each location — a critical factor that often determines whether renewable projects are commercially viable. Sites with existing industrial-grade power connections from their mining past could have a significant advantage.

Why Abandoned Mines

The rationale is both environmental and strategic. Portugal's decommissioned mining areas are already artificially altered landscapes that carry environmental liabilities from decades of extraction. By siting renewable energy infrastructure on these degraded sites, the government aims to:

• Avoid occupying agricultural, forestry, or ecologically sensitive land — a growing concern as Portugal races to meet its EU renewable energy targets
• Rehabilitate contaminated sites that would otherwise remain idle and costly to maintain
• Create economic activity in rural interior regions that lost their primary industry when mines closed

Among the sites likely to be assessed is the historic Mina de São Domingos in the Alentejo, a former copper and sulphur mine that operated for over a century before closing in 1966, leaving behind significant environmental damage.

Broader Context

The initiative aligns with the EU's Renewable Energy Directive, which encourages member states to identify Renewable Acceleration Areas (RAAs) — pre-approved zones where permitting for clean energy projects is fast-tracked. Abandoned industrial sites are considered ideal candidates for RAA designation because they avoid the land-use conflicts that frequently delay wind and solar projects.

Portugal added a record 1 GW of new solar capacity in just the first half of 2024, bringing total operational solar to 5.6 GW, and the government has set a target of reaching 80 percent renewable electricity by the end of 2026. However, finding suitable land for new installations has become increasingly contentious, with local communities and environmental groups opposing projects on farmland and forested areas.

The study may also identify sites suited for self-consumption by energy-intensive industries or for the creation of renewable energy communities — a model the government has been actively promoting to bring clean energy benefits directly to local populations.

Sources: Government of Portugal, LNEG, Observador, Ambiente Magazine