Portugal will accelerate the construction of solar power plants to replace gas-fired electricity generation and meet the EU's goal of reducing the use of gas, said Energy Minister Joao Galamba, Reuters reported.

As Europe struggles to close the gap between gas consumption and limited supply, accelerating the installation of 1.2 gigawatts of solar PV capacity will make a very important contribution, as it allows electricity producers to consume less gas, Galamba said.

This is the most effective measure that Portugal can take without more stringent measures in the electricity or industrial sectors, which are major consumers, he said.

EU energy ministers have agreed that member countries should cut their gas consumption by 15% from August to March.

But Portugal and Spain, which have weak energy ties with the rest of Europe, can only cut consumption by 7% if they send as much gas as possible to their EU neighbors. Both countries import liquefied natural gas from producers other than Russia and may re-export some of the gas.

The 1.2 gigawatt capacity is equal to that of the now-closed coal-fired power plant in Sines, Galamba said. However, solar generation is much more intermittent than thermal generation.

 As part of the plan, "300 to 400 megawatts of new solar capacity for small, medium and large PV solar parks will be operational by October," the secretary said.

Portugal currently has over 2 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, double what it was at the end of 2020.

It consumes about 5 million cubic meters of natural gas annually. Electricity producers use 45%, industry 45% and households 10%.

“We are working to minimize or even eliminate the risk of negative impact on the industry,” Galamba said. The government will take steps to reduce the use of gas in buildings and encourage the public to use less gas as well.