Residents of Fanhais, a village in the municipality of Nazaré, have voiced their strong opposition to the construction of a green hydrogen production project, resulting in the relocation of a 150 million euro investment to another municipality.
The project, known as the Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley, aimed to decarbonize industries in the region by replacing energy sources like natural gas with green hydrogen.
During an Extraordinary Municipal Assembly, attended by approximately 100 villagers, the population expressed their concerns regarding the project. The proposal involved installing 62 hectares of photovoltaic panels and seven wind turbines within a 220-hectare pine forest area in Fanhais. The villagers argued that this would require amending the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) of Nazaré and result in the deforestation of what they consider to be a vital environmental asset for the municipality.
Company officials present at the assembly attempted to address the concerns by outlining the project and offering compensatory reforestation measures equivalent to the number of trees to be cut. However, their explanations failed to convince the population and representatives from various political parties, including CDU, Left Bloc, PS, and PSD, who indicated their intention to vote against the project.
The sentiment against the Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley was echoed by councilors and the Environment Councilor of Nazaré, expressing their opposition to the project and suggesting its rejection if submitted to the executive. The population submitted a petition with approximately 300 signatures calling for the project’s impracticability and even proposed a referendum to decide on its implementation in Fanhais.
Mayor Walter Chicharro expressed his support for the villagers’ wishes and acknowledged that a decision on the project would be made in due course. The executive’s first step will be to deliberate on changing the PDM to enable the project’s viability. If the voting intentions expressed during the assembly persist, the Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley is unlikely to be approved in Fanhais. However, the responsible party for project development at Rega Energy, João Rosa Santos, stated that the project would proceed in alternative locations being evaluated if not in Fanhais.
The Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley is a collaborative effort involving four municipalities (Nazaré, Leiria, Marinha Grande, and Alcobaça) and aims to address approximately 10% of the national industry’s CO2 emissions. It includes a green hydrogen production unit and a solar plant to provide the necessary energy for electrolysis, with the potential to create 140 new jobs. The project, classified as of national interest, is being developed by a consortium of eight companies representing sectors such as cement, glass, water, and natural gas.
Apart from the Nazaré project, Rega Energy is also implementing similar initiatives in Coimbra and Aveiro.
