Portugal-based energy company EDP has brought into operation a hybrid generation project that combines hydropower and onshore solar- the first of its type for the company and one of the first in the world.
The new Pracana complex, located in central Portugal, combines 90,000 solar panels with the Pracana hydroelectric facility in the centre of the country.
It will deliver 89 MW of capacity, enough energy to supply around 51,800 households while avoiding the emission of approximately 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
EDP said the infrastructure combines its legacy with multi-technology innovation, an area in which the company has been a pioneer.
EDP Iberia CEO Pedro Vasconcelos said: “Pracana is another milestone in our strategy: by combining hydropower and onshore solar, we reinforce system stability, accelerate the energy transition, and reduce territorial impact.
“It is EDP’s first project of this kind globally and proves that innovation and efficiency can go hand in hand.”
EDP began construction of the solar plant in January 2025, and its estimated annual solar energy production is 87 GWh.
The project also highlights EDP’s high safety and social responsibility standards.
The plan has more than 30,000 hours of work recorded without accidents, with a peak of 150 workers involved during the construction phase.
Pracana is EDP’s sixth hybrid project in Portugal, the 11th in the Iberian Peninsula and bring the group’s multi-technology projects in Europe to 12.
In 2025, EDP also commissioned two wind-solar hybrid parks – Charneca das Lebres in Aljezur, Portugal, and Las Lomillas in Cuenca, Spain.
In Portugal, EDP also operates two projects combining hydropower and floating solar – Alto Rabagão in Montalegre and Alqueva in Moura.