Iberdrola has started commissioning the 195 MW Tâmega Norte wind farm in Portugal, part of the wider Tâmega Complex combining wind and pumped-storage hydropower. The project is located between Braga and Vila Real in the municipalities of Cabeceiras de Basto and Montalegre. The Tâmega Complex will include two wind farms, Tâmega Norte and Tâmega Sul, connected to a pumped-storage hydroelectric system designed to store and release electricity when required by the grid.
Tâmega Norte will comprise 27 turbines supplied by Vestas, each rated at 7.2 MW with a rotor diameter of 172 metres.
Annual electricity generation from Tâmega Norte is expected to reach about 414 GWh, while the Tâmega Sul wind farm, currently under construction, is expected to generate around 185 GWh per year. Electricity from both projects will use the complex’s existing transmission infrastructure connected through the Red Eléctrica Nacional hub in Ribeira de Pena.
Total investment in the two wind farms amounts to €346 million, including €237 million for Tâmega Norte and €109 million for Tâmega Sul.
The project is financed by the European Investment Bank and includes participation from Norges Bank, which will hold a 49% stake in the complex once operational.
