Hydropower concession revenues to fund Serra da Estrela ecological restoration

The government is setting up a mechanism to channel part of the revenue from future hydropower concessions towards restoring the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. A ministerial order tells the Portuguese Environment Agency to design the funding model within 90 days, including the share of rents to be earmarked and the environmental clauses for new contracts. Fourteen of the 22 hydraulic schemes in the park have concessions expiring on 9 October 2028, and a new tender, preferably bundled, is planned for 2027. The money would go to the Environment Fund for ecosystem recovery, water resources and climate adaptation.