Castelo Branco, Portugal, Nov. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - The environmental association Rewilding Portugal expressed its opposition on Wednesday to the installation of the Sophia photovoltaic solar power plant, as the project represents a model of artificialisation of the territory that is incompatible with the principles of conservation, ecological restoration and territorial cohesion.
"Although we recognise the urgency and importance of the energy transition, we believe that the project in question does not meet the minimum criteria for territorial, ecological and social sustainability," the environmental association said in a statement sent to the Lusa news agency.
The Sophia solar photovoltaic plant covers the municipalities of Fundão, Idanha-a-Nova and Penamacor, in the district of Castelo Branco, and represents an investment of €590 million, for a capacity of 867 MWp (Megawatt peak).
Rewilding Portugal said that significant and irreversible impacts have been revealed on high-value ecosystems, on the rural landscape of Gardunha and on communities that have been investing in ecological regeneration and nature tourism.
"We therefore believe that the Sophia project does not represent a fair energy transition, but rather a model of artificialisation of the territory that is incompatible with the principles of conservation, ecological restoration and territorial cohesion."
The environmentalists base their position on a detailed analysis of the official data from the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and an assessment of the ecological, social and territorial risks that the project represents for the municipalities of Fundão, Penamacor and Idanha-a-Nova, with significant and irreversible impacts on local ecosystems, the landscape, the communities of that region and the sustainable development model for the territory.
"The lack of transparency in this process is a serious aspect that should have been addressed earlier. The lack of clarity about the origins and intentions of the investment raises legitimate doubts about its strategic and environmental framework."
The association added that rejecting this project does not mean rejecting solar energy, but rather demanding responsible planning, transparency and ecological justice.
It also argued that many other areas are already artificialised, abandoned after human use and intervention, or even covered by public buildings and other strips, which would allow the production of this energy without implying the destruction of habitats or the creation of a technological monoculture.
"Let's have the courage to make these decisions, because large-scale solar power plants, if poorly located, replace living ecosystems with dead surfaces, creating ecological deserts in a country that needs to be renaturalised, reconnected and restored."
The environmentalists have proposed that the government and the competent authorities promote the mapping of artificial areas available for this type of installation, robust tax incentives for the installation of panels on public, logistical and industrial buildings, and the creation of an Energy Transition with Nature programme, which ensures that each megawatt produced also contributes to restoring ecosystems, and that it is produced without jeopardising them.
"In view of the facts exposed and the seriousness of the impacts recognised by the EIA itself, Rewilding Portugal calls for the complete rejection of the Sophia project and the associated Very High Voltage Lines (VHVL)."
CCC/ADB // ADB.
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