Repositório do LNEG
Repositório Científico do Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia
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Harnessing Solar Energy for Urban Regeneration: Advancing Energy Communities to Mitigate Poverty and Empower Social Neighbourhoods
Publication . Viana, Susana; Aelenei, Laura Elena; Ortigão, Margarida; Rodrigues, Ana; Cunha-e-Sá, Maria A.; Goncalves, Helder; Dinis, J.; Monteiro, Casimiro; Cabral, Joaquim; Segura, Iván Luque; Salom, J.
ABSTRACT: This paper investigates Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) as innovative instruments for urban regeneration, focusing on their dual role in advancing decarbonisation and mitigating energy poverty. Cascais Municipality, aligned with EU climate neutrality objectives, launched a pilot in Alcabideche integrating technical deployment with social engagement. The intervention included photovoltaic (PV) systems on five public buildings (two with storage) and five social housing blocks, complemented by three electric vehicle chargers. Preliminary monitoring indicates reductions in household electricity bills of up to 30%, contributing directly to alleviating energy poverty. To complement the technical implementation, structured surveys and focus groups were conducted with residents and local stakeholders. Findings reveal high levels of interest in participating in RECs, though concerns remain regarding information accessibility, trust in governance structures, and long-term benefits. Citizen engagement activities proved essential in overcoming these barriers, reinforcing social acceptance and community ownership. The initiative is supported by the WeGenerate project, which provides frameworks for replicating REC models across Europe, linking technological innovation with participatory governance. Results demonstrate that socially inclusive RECs can simultaneously enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen social cohesion, positioning them as critical enablers of equitable and resilient urban regeneration.
LNEG-H2PTMap: Geospatial Hydrogen Cost Calculator
Publication . Portillo, Juan C. C.; Simoes, Sofia; Shabanifar, Soraya; Jordão, Luisa; Ricou, Maria; Costa, Catarina
ABSTRACT: The National Laboratory for Energy and Geology (LNEG) presents the first version of the LNEG-H2PTMap Tool, available through the LNEG GeoPortal. This free geospatial calculator enables the rapid estimation of the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) across the 278 municipalities of mainland Portugal. The tool integrates the costs of green hydrogen production with the main components of its value chain applicable to the transport and industrial sectors, including storage and distribution to the end user, enabling flexible analyses based on up-to-date reference parameters and local conditions. The LNEG-H2PTMap Tool was developed under the “H₂ Cost Geospatial Simulator” initiative within the framework of the PRR Agenda M-ECO2. This report describes the methodological approach adopted for the development of the tool, including its cost calculation framework, data sources, assumptions, and implementation. Unlike other hydrogen cost assessment tools, such as the European Hydrogen Observatory's LCOH Calculator, which primarily provide estimates based on country-level datasets, the LNEG-H2PTMap Tool enables the estimation of levelised hydrogen costs at the municipal level throughout mainland Portugal. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no publicly available tool currently provides municipality-level levelised hydrogen cost estimates covering all municipalities of mainland Portugal. This finer geographical resolution enables the incorporation of spatial variations in key cost determinants, including renewable electricity availability and costs, water sourcing and treatment requirements, and hydrogen transportation distances. Consequently, the tool can reveal cost differences between municipalities that may be obscured when using national or regional averages, thereby supporting more informed investment, planning, and policy decisions. By capturing these spatial variations at the municipal scale, the tool addresses a concrete need identified by industry stakeholders, investors, researchers, and policymakers for a practical, transparent, and evidence-based decision-support instrument. The LNEG-H2PTMap Tool facilitates the identification of cost-competitive locations for green hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, thereby supporting strategic planning and contributing to the accelerated, efficient, and targeted deployment of the green hydrogen economy in Portugal.
LNEG-H2PTMap: Calculadora Geoespacial do Custo de Hidrogénio
Publication . Portillo, Juan C. C.; Simoes, Sofia; Shabanifar, Soraya; Jordão, Luisa; Ricou, Maria; Costa, Catarina
RESUMO: O Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG) apresenta a primeira versão da ferramenta LNEG-H2PTMap, disponibilizada através do GeoPortal do LNEG. Esta calculadora geoespacial gratuita permite a estimativa rápida do Custo Nivelado do Hidrogénio (Levelised Cost of Hydrogen – LCOH) nos 278 municípios de Portugal Continental. A ferramenta integra os custos de produção de hidrogénio verde com as principais componentes da sua cadeia de valor aplicáveis aos setores dos transportes e da indústria, incluindo o armazenamento e a distribuição até ao utilizador final, permitindo a realização de análises flexíveis com base em parâmetros de referência atualizados e em condições locais. A ferramenta LNEG-H2PTMap foi desenvolvida no âmbito da iniciativa «Simulador Geoespacial de Custos de H₂», integrada na Agenda PRR M-ECO2. O presente relatório descreve a abordagem metodológica adotada para o desenvolvimento da ferramenta, incluindo o enquadramento metodológico do cálculo de custos, as fontes de dados, os pressupostos considerados e a sua implementação. Ao contrário de outras ferramentas para a avaliação de custos do hidrogénio, como a Calculadora LCOH do Observatório Europeu do Hidrogénio, que disponibilizam estimativas baseadas principalmente em dados à escala nacional, a ferramenta LNEG-H2PTMap permite a estimativa dos custos nivelados do hidrogénio à escala municipal em todo o território de Portugal Continental. Tanto quanto é do conhecimento dos autores, não existe atualmente nenhuma ferramenta de acesso público que disponibilize estimativas do custo nivelado do hidrogénio à escala municipal para a totalidade dos municípios de Portugal Continental. Esta resolução geográfica mais detalhada permite incorporar variações espaciais em fatores determinantes dos custos, incluindo a disponibilidade e o custo da eletricidade renovável, os requisitos de captação e tratamento de água e as distâncias de transporte de hidrogénio. Consequentemente, a ferramenta permite identificar diferenças de custo entre municípios que podem ficar ocultas quando se utilizam médias nacionais ou regionais, apoiando decisões mais informadas de investimento, planeamento e definição de políticas públicas. Ao captar estas variações espaciais à escala municipal, a ferramenta responde a uma necessidade concreta identificada por agentes da indústria, investidores, investigadores e decisores políticos de disporem de um instrumento de apoio à decisão prático, transparente e baseado em evidência. A ferramenta LNEG-H2PTMap facilita a identificação de localizações economicamente mais competitivas para a produção, armazenamento e distribuição de hidrogénio verde, apoiando o planeamento estratégico e contribuindo para uma implementação mais rápida, eficiente e direcionada da economia do hidrogénio em Portugal.
The palynology of the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic in the Algarve and Lusitanian basins, Portugal
Publication . Vilas Boas, Margarida; Cirilli, Simonetta; Pereira, Zélia; Duarte, Luis; Fernandes, Paulo
ABSTRACT: High-resolution palynological analyses from the Algarve and Lusitanian basins (Portugal) provide a refined biostratigraphical framework and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction for the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic transition. In the Algarve Basin, three new palynozones (AT, SC, and CP) characterise the Silves Group from the early Carnian to early Hettangian, documenting the first Iberian occurrence of Tulesporites briscoensis and precisely delineating the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary (TJB). In the Lusitanian Basin, three palynozones (CG, IK, and Pm) constrain the Conraria and Pereiros formations to the Norian-Hettangian, with the TJB located at the base of the Pereiros Formation. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions reveal distinct basin-specific evolutions. The Algarve Basin records an early transition from fluvial (Silves Sandstones) to marginal-marine (lagoonal and pond) settings, evidenced by abundant upper Carnian algal elements and reworked Neoproterozoic algae. Conversely, the Lusitanian Basin reflects a Norian-Hettangian marginal-marine, river-dominated setting, with microforaminiferal linings at the base of the Pereiros Formation marking the earliest marine transgression in the Lusitanian Basin. Quantitatively, both basins show a persistent dominance of xerophytic taxa, indicating a shift toward warmer, seasonally dry conditions across the TJB. Malformed sporomorphs in both records suggest environmental stress potentially linked to Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) activity. Comparative analysis reveals that sedimentation initiated earlier in the Algarve (early Carnian) than in the Lusitanian Basin (Norian), suggesting diachronous development during Pangaea breakup. The assemblages show strong affinities with the Onslow Microflora, highlighting the Portuguese margin as a key archive for western Tethyan floral and climatic evolution.
Framework of Initial Selection of Offshore Energy Island Location for Sustainable Water Desalination
Publication . Almasoudi, Muhnad; Sharifi, Soroosh; Glumac, Anina; Simões, Teresa; Hemida, Hassan
ABSTRACT: In this paper, a framework for the selection of an energy island location to supply power for water desalination plants with cleaner and more sustainable energy has been developed. The developed framework aims to evaluate the feasibility of creating offshore energy islands and select its location by considering factors such as renewable energy potential, site suitability, marine traffic, future developments, and proximity to desalination facilities. The energy and water data have been collected from available published data on marine traffic, water desalination production and government reports. Solar power data were obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources via RETScreen, wave data were sourced from Windguru, and wind power data were obtained from both sources. The data were used for the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to develop the framework. The developed framework has been utilized to develop an energy Island in the Red Sea to power the water desalination plants along the KSA west shore. The findings demonstrate the significant potential of energy islands to partly mitigate Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from desalination plants, advancing global efforts toward water sustainability and supporting long-term goals for achieving net-zero emissions. The study also emphasizes the importance of further research into wave energy in the Red Sea, as the lack of real-time data and comprehensive resources limits accurate assessments.