Portugal launches 65-year tender for Girabolhos dam project

Portugal's government has launched a public tender for the Girabolhos multi-purpose hydroelectric scheme, offering a 65-year concession without a fixed base price, though the project's indicative cost is estimated at €300 million. The winner will be chosen based on the highest financial payment offered to the state, with no EU funding involved. The dam, spanning Gouveia, Seia, Fornos de Algodres, Mangualde and Nelas, must be completed by December 2038. First planned under José Sócrates's government, the project was cancelled in 2016 and revived this year following the Mondego floods that breached Coimbra's protective dikes.