Guimarães, Portugal, March 11, 2026 (Lusa) - The Minister for the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, said on Tuesday that investment in nuclear energy "does not make sense" in Portugal, stressing that the focus should remain on renewables.
Speaking to journalists in Guimarães, on the sidelines of the European Green Capital presentation session, Maria da Graça Carvalho said that investing in nuclear energy would be important for countries that have "less sun, less wind and less water" and, therefore, less renewable potential.
"Nuclear energy requires a very high initial investment, which, in our case, does not make sense. We have a lot of renewable potential, we have already invested in it, and therefore our focus should be on renewables," she said.
The President of the European Commission announced on Tuesday a €200 million guarantee to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies, with a view to avoiding the "vulnerabilities" associated with importing gas and oil from the Middle East.
"We need to mobilise investment, and today I can announce that we will create a €200 million guarantee to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies. The resources will come from the Emissions Trading System [so that] not only do we reduce the risk of investments in these low-carbon technologies, but we also want to send a clear signal for other investors to join in," said Ursula von der Leyen.
For Maria da Graça Carvalho, the commitment to nuclear power makes sense in countries, particularly in Central Europe, "that have less sun, less wind, less water and therefore less renewable potential".
"And then they are left with coal, which many have already abandoned because it causes a lot of pollution and CO2 emissions, gas, which is currently very expensive and highly dependent on Russia and the Middle East, or nuclear power, an expensive but clean technology from a CO2 point of view. After the investment has been made, the price of energy is low, but a very high initial investment is required," he said.
She pointed out that Portugal has made a "big bet" on renewables, which has given it competitiveness and strong energy independence.
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