Castelo Branco, Portugal, Nov. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese environmental association Zero has issued an unfavourable opinion on the Sophia photovoltaic power plant project due to the socio-economic and environmental impacts underestimated by the Environmental Impact Assessment, which contains deficiencies, serious omissions and biased conclusions.
On the day that the public consultation on the Sophia photovoltaic power plant ended, Zero warned, in a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, that "the enormous controversy surrounding this megaproject could create a social environment unfavourable to the acceptance of renewable energy in Portugal".
"The insistence on developing projects on a case-by-case basis, which are the antithesis of spatial planning, the lack of involvement of the population in the initial stages, the lack of benefit sharing with local residents and the devaluation of socio-economic and landscape effects can seriously undermine the climate neutrality goals set for the coming decades," it stressed.
The Sophia solar photovoltaic power plant covers the regions of Fundão, Idanha-a-Nova and Penamacor, in the district of Castelo Branco, and represents an investment of around €590 million, for an installed capacity of 867 MWp (megawatt peak).
The project covers an area of 390 hectares occupied by photovoltaic modules, 435 hectares considering all the infrastructure, and a total of 1,734 hectares of fenced area.
The association warned that the huge controversy generated by this megaproject "may be just the beginning of a snowball effect of social protest and legal disputes against the necessary investments in renewable energy."
"Zero decided to issue an unfavourable opinion on the Sophia project due to the significant local socio-economic and environmental impacts, which were underestimated by an Environmental Impact Assessment that contains serious deficiencies and omissions and biased conclusions".
The association also stressed that, since 2020, it has been drawing attention to the need to regulate renewable energy production activities and identify areas that avoid significant impacts on the landscape and natural features and that benefit from social acceptance and benefit sharing.
Environmentalists argue that the Sophia plant is symptomatic of an unbalanced decarbonisation strategy.
"Portugal needs to eliminate its consumption of fossil fuels, but the focus on mega-plants may be undermining other necessary fronts of the energy transition: investment in energy efficiency, energy communities and mobility."
For Zero, without a strategic rebalancing, "the snowball of social protest could grow and compromise the entire energy transition, which is absolutely crucial."
CCC/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
