Macau, China, Sept. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The Macau-based company CESL Asia announced on Friday that it intends to launch large-scale pilot projects in agrovoltaic (AgroPV) technology in Portugal, with the aim of positioning the country's agricultural regions at the forefront of the green and digital transition.
The Macau-based company expressed this intention during a visit to its headquarters by a high-level delegation from the Intermunicipal Council of the Western Region of Portugal (OesteCIM), led by Hermínio Augusto Rodrigues, Mayor of Alcobaça and President of the OesteCIM Intermunicipal Council.
The delegation also included several local mayors from the region, the chair of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), Teresa Almeida, and Bernardo Pinho from AICEP Macau.
According to a press release issued by the company, Thursday's meeting focused on opportunities for cooperation in the areas of regional development, sustainable agriculture and energy, with the group's management highlighting the «transformative economic impact that AgroPV can have on the Portuguese agricultural sector when accompanied by forward-looking policies».
Agrovoltaic technology is the practice of using the same area of land simultaneously for agricultural or livestock production and for the generation of solar photovoltaic energy.
During the meeting, CESL Asia presented its AgroPV Demonstration Plant in the Alentejo, emphasising that optimising land use «helps to protect national food sovereignty, whilst promoting the development of rural areas».
The company highlighted that, with the appropriate regulatory frameworks in place, it is estimated that the technology «could generate additional revenue of between €1,500 and €3,000 per hectare per year for farmers, effectively more than doubling the economic value of rural land».
To turn this vision into reality, the group advocated the «urgent need to create a National Programme of AgroPV Pilot Projects within an experimental regulatory framework», enabling public and private bodies to jointly define «agro-technological models, operations and regulatory best practices suited to the reality of Portugal».
According to the press release, the direct integration of AgroPV into national strategies for agriculture, energy and digitalisation constitutes a «strategic lever», whereby alignment with ongoing investments in the electricity grid and data centre infrastructure «will help drive regional development, particularly in agricultural regions such as the West of Portugal».
Founded in 1987, CESL Asia operates in the field of consultancy services and the operation of critical infrastructure, both public and private.
NCM/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
