Environmental Agency Rejects Serra do Marão Solar Power Project
The Portuguese Environment Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente or APA) has rejected a planned photovoltaic hybridization project at the Penedo Ruivo Wind Farm in Serra do Marão. The project proposed installing solar panels over seven hectares across the municipalities of Baião and Amarante, located within the Alvão-Marão Special Area of Conservation. The APA determined that the project would cause substantial and non-mitigatable damage to regional ecological, landscape, and territorial assets.
The APA (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente) is Portugal's central environmental authority, responsible for environmental policy, climate action, water resources, waste management, and coastal protection. It operates under the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
APA manages Portugal's water resources including river basins, dam operations, and flood risk planning. It monitors air and water quality, oversees waste treatment facilities, manages the national emissions trading scheme, and leads Portugal's climate adaptation strategies.
The agency is particularly prominent during flood events, as it controls dam discharges and coordinates water management across Portugal's major rivers. APA also processes environmental impact assessments and licenses for projects affecting natural resources.
