ADENE, the Energy Agency of Portugal, and Orkustofnun, the National Energy Authority of Iceland, have signed an MOU that marks the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in the area of renewable energy, with emphasis on geothermal energy. The signing of the MOU was presided by Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa within the scope of the first visit of a Head of Portuguese Government to Iceland.
Both Heads of Government of the two countries, António Costa and Katrin Jakobsdottir, stated that Portugal and Iceland share common values on a strategic level, and in terms of future challenges such as fighting climate change and protecting the oceans.
“We have opportunities here to develop our relations in terms of renewables. From our side, we expect to learn from Iceland’s experience in the geothermal sector, namely regarding carbon capture for industrial use” António Costa noted, adding that both countries can also “move forward in the oceans cluster”.
The President of ADENE, Nelson Lage, stressed that the Memorandum of Understanding with Orkustofnun will make it possible to “deepen relations with Iceland, a leading country in the use of geothermal energy” and “allow the sharing of knowledge and new concepts, solutions and models of energy businesses, including renewable energy communities and energy storage systems.”
With several geothermal facilities in operation, Iceland has set several examples that Portugal would like to follow, especially in the Azores where plans are underway to expand the capacity of the Pico Vermelho geothermal power plant.
The agreement signed between the two energy agencies is not limited only to geothermal energy, as Portugal and Iceland as also involved in international forums and agreements related to the overall energy transition and the promotion of climate actions.
Source: ThinkGeoEnergy
