"The Pego Thermoelectric Power Plant will begin a process of dismantling the [cooling] towers and all those structures, and we know that during the dismantling process, many infrastructures will disappear to create conditions for other industrial and economic projects to emerge, but we know that the railway line will remain," the mayor of Abrantes told Lusa.

Manuel Jorge Valamatos (PS) was speaking on the sidelines of the executive meeting, where he informed, at the request of the PSD councillor, that the Pego plant "has already begun the licensing process for the dismantling of the towers and the infrastructure," which is currently in a "review and consolidation phase," and that the railway branch line is not included in the decommissioning plan.

"We will no longer have these towers, but what is desirable is that we will have projects for that area in the near future. And that is what we will announce in due course, because licensing processes are underway," he declared.

The mayor emphasized that the plant will maintain its gas-fired combined cycle component, adding that the process of dismantling the coal-fired plant "will be lengthy" and "will have an impact on the local economy," pointing to a new industrial future.

"This is a significant piece of infrastructure in Pego, a new industrial area that we are working on and consolidating, both administratively and technically. The railway branch line represents an added value that will be of significant importance in the future for the new industrial and economic units that will be operating," he declared.

"We want to believe that very relevant projects will emerge there, which will create many jobs and generate significant economic dynamics, both for Pego, for our municipality, for the region, and even for the country. This branch line will have its own life and will be a significant activity. At least, that is the understanding of the shareholders and those who propose to invest there," he maintained.

In 2022, as part of the closure of the coal-fired power plant, Endesa was awarded a renewable energy project in Pego, currently in the implementation phase, with an investment of approximately 600 million euros.

This project integrates solar, wind, and green hydrogen production solutions, using 224 MW of the approximately 600 MW available at the site.