“REN [national grid company] has a project for a pipeline. This project is being evaluated, as happens with these types of projects, by the Portuguese Environment Agency, in a common environmental impact assessment process”, said João Matos Fernandes, in Maia, in the Porto district, on the sidelines of a visit to Efacec Electric Mobility.
The minister said the project to build a gas pipeline between Celorico da Beira and Vilar de Frades in Bragança, in the Alto Douro Vinhateiro region, which is protected by UNESCO “is in the hands of technicians and will remain in the hands of technicians”, because “Portugal is proud of its tradition of environmental impact assessments being technical decisions.”
Daily newspaper Público reported on Sunday that a “REN gas pipeline threatens the landscape of the Upper Douro Wine Region”, saying the project “proposed for a protected area by UNESCO” was “discussed a year ago, but land owners (..) know nothing about it.”
The Environment Minister gave assurances this week that the process is in the hands of the Portuguese Environment Agency and that “in about two months, there will be an opinion on this project.”