Portugal aims to lead the way in green transport, COP 15

Release Date: 2009-07-31

By 2011, environment-friendly motorists would be able to plug in their electric cars at 1,300 recharging stations around the country.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Jose Socrates has launched an ambitious plan for a nationwide network of recharging stations that would allow environment-friendly motorists to “fill up” their electric cars anywhere they like. By 2011, 1,300 stations should be up and running.

The first station in the Mobi-E network opened in Lisbon on July 23. Another hundred are due to be in place by the end of this year. Renault-Nissan says that Portugal will be one of the first markets for the launch of its electric vehicles in 2011.

The charging network is part of a wider Portuguese scheme to switch to green energy, involving wind turbines, solar panels and wave farms. These renewable energy sources are suited to the country's location on Europe's sunny, but breezy, southwest tip.

Portugal has no domestic coal, natural gas or oil and has been forced to import most of its energy. By investing in renewables, Western Europe's poorest nation is seeking to find cheaper energy alternatives and to create a niche as an exporter of green technology.

Portugal already produces over one-third of its electricity from renewable sources, double the average of the 27 European Union member states. Socrates says the proportion will grow to 45 percent by 2010.

Type:	NORMAL
Company:	COP 15
Country:	Denmark
Url:	http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=1798