The cabinet announced the main features of the energy saving plan yesterday. Measures to be taken include restrictions on the use of decorative lighting – such as Christmas lights – and more efficient use of air conditioning systems. However, the final guidelines are not yet fully known, as this first version, which was approved by the Council of Ministers yesterday, will undergo some reformulations. The Environment and Climate Minister has said that suggestions have been made by other government colleagues that have yet to be accepted and included in the final document. Nevertheless, Duarte Cordeiro believes that these recommendations can lead to an additional 5% saving on gas consumption. The minister added that Portugal is on the right track in cutting gas consumption, saving 20% since the start of the year – excluding the gas needed for electricity production, whose imports have increased.
Out of the proposals was the reduction of store opening hours. A measure that has been adopted in other Member States and has received much criticism from the trade. Furthermore, the measures to be taken in the energy saving plan are for the time being only mandatory in public administration. Only recommendations will be made for local government and the private sector. Duarte Cordeiro stressed the commitment of different industries to contribute to rationalization of consumption, as demonstrated during the various contacts ADENE maintained to collect contributions for the preparation of the plan. However, the minister does not rule out the possibility that the recommendations could become mandatory if necessary.
The energy saving plan approved by the Portuguese government this week is in line with the European commitment to reduce energy consumption by 15% to avoid potential supply problems in winter. However, Portugal, like other island countries, saw the target reduced to 7% due to poor energy interconnections with other European Union countries and less reliance on Russian gas.
The minister also took the opportunity to explain that this plan “is intended to frame measures already implemented and to add new ones”, e.g. increasing the targets for photovoltaic production and existing measures in the Recovery- and Resilience Plan (PRR) such as lowering the VAT to 6% for photovoltaic panels.
4.5 million to Sines
In view of the current energy crisis, the Council of Ministers has also “approved a series of measures related to strengthening energy security and promoting energy efficiency,” Duarte Cordeiro revealed. This includes the investments needed to allow the port of Sines to transport Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to the rest of Europe. This initiative, which is being carried out by REN, manager of the national energy networks, involves an amount of 4.5 million euros.
Finally, Duarte Cordeiro announced that the strengthening of the gas storage capacity was also approved by the construction of two new caverns, as part of the strategy to create strategic natural gas reserves already announced by the Executive, similar to what is already happening with the fuels . These reserves will be managed by ENSE – National Entity for the Energy Sector, which is already responsible for the oil reserves.
Currently in Portugal there are six storage caves in Carriço, near Pombal, which are owned by the traders. But given the current situation and uncertainty about the duration of the war, it is necessary to increase the stock. Dinheiro Vivo recently reported that construction of the new gas storage caverns could take at least 3 years. At the time, however, the government assured that it would take the “necessary measures” to speed up the process and has now committed to shorten that period to two years.
Source: DN
