How wind power grew in Portugal
The oldest farm in Portugal's wind register is Cabeço do Carvalho on the island of Porto Santo, where nine 30 kW turbines were connected in 1985. A single 20 kW turbine at Lourel was connected on the mainland the same year. On the mainland, the Moinho dos Chãos farm, with twelve 150 kW turbines, was connected in 1992. The floating WindFloat Atlantic, 25 MW, has operated off Viana do Castelo since 2020.
A 1988 decree let independent producers sell renewable power to the grid. Growth took off after December 2001, when payments began to favour emerging sources such as wind. A 2005 decree fixed payment periods, usually 15 years, and moved grid capacity to tenders. In 2006 the Eólicas de Portugal consortium won about 1,200 MW, with Enercon as industrial partner. In return Enercon opened a blade factory at Viana do Castelo at the end of 2007. Its turbines make up 49.5% of the fleet, and Finerge is the largest developer.
The grid operator REN counted 5,444 MW of wind at the end of 2025. Wind generated 13,473 GWh in 2025, 25% of consumption. Building has almost stopped. The national plan targets 10.4 GW onshore and 2 GW offshore by 2030. The first offshore auction had still not opened in mid-June 2026, and the industry body APREN expected first projects only around 2030 to 2032.
Sources: INEGI and APREN · Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal · EDP · Energías Renovables · REN · INEGI and APREN · ECO
Where Portugal's power comes from, 2025
| Source | Share of electricity |
|---|---|
| Hydro | 29.7% |
| Wind | 26.8% |
| Solar | 17.3% |
| Gas | 16.5% |
| Bioenergy | 6.7% |
| Other fossil fuels | 2.6% |
| Geothermal and other renewables | 0.4% |
Wind farms in Portugal
We track 245 wind farms in Portugal: 5.8 GW operating and 7.1 GW under construction, consented or planned, with 5.8 GW of it offshore. Each one's owners, turbines and status are in the Wind app.
Electricity data: Ember yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0). Wind farms: national registers and Global Energy Monitor; see data sources.
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