Portugal TSO Direct Agreements Milestone: Over 7 GW of Renewable Capacity Connected
Over 7 GW of renewable capacity being connected via Direct Agreements
Involving €500 million in grid upgrades, fully financed by project developers, to be completed by 2030, that is an average value of 71,4 kEur/MVA, substantially lower than the initially 100 kEur/MVA predicted.
Portugal moves forward with strategic reinforcement of its National Transmission Grid (RNT)
ERSE has published its opinion on the proposal for the Transmission Network Development and Investment Plan – PDIRT-E 2024, covering 2025–2034.
Download here the complete ERSE conclusions: parecer-Ã -proposta-de-pdirt-e-2024
Planned investment: €1.691 billion
65% increase over previous plans
Aligned with Portugal’s PNEC 2030 decarbonization targets
Key highlights from ERSE’s opinion:
Positive evaluation, but calls for clearer decision criteria and better execution risk assessment
Greater justification of projects needed, especially in relation to storage and flexibility
Acceleration of smart grid initiatives: Dynamic Line Rating, Digital Twins, dynamic planning models
Encouragement of closer TSO-DSO cooperation to unlock capacity
Preference for market-based alternatives over traditional capex-heavy investments
Caveat: Lack of a storage-first approach may lead to underutilized grid assets and inefficient investment.
Tariff impact through 2029 is moderate: ~+0.1 p.p. per year in final electricity bills.
This plan is key to addressing grid electrification, renewable integration, and resilience — especially following the April 2025 Iberian blackout.
