“Today is an incredibly important day for the entire Alto Alentejo, particularly for our intermunicipal community. It marks the realization of a long-cherished project and investment, and fortunately, we are here to witness this significant moment. This is a project we believe will transform this region,” said Hugo Hilário, president of the Alto Alentejo Intermunicipal Community (CIMAA).
The official was speaking to journalists during a visit to the initial work on the primary infrastructure of the Pisão Dam in Crato, Portalegre district. This event marked the official start of construction and was attended by the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis.
According to the CIMAA president, once completed, the dam will supply over “60% of the energy consumption” of Alto Alentejo, promoting the development of sectors such as public water supply, irrigation, tourism, and new cultures.
“Certain regions need transformative investments, and ours is unmistakably one of them. I believe this is a crucial step towards attracting more investments and showing everyone that, beyond our rights, we have the capability to implement them. Pisão will undoubtedly be the district’s first major investment, but many more will follow,” he emphasized.
Financing for the Pisão Dam project shifted from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) in March this year to the State Budget (OE), increasing from 151 to 222 million euros, with a completion timeline of 910 days, specifically by 2027.
“Currently, this is the largest undertaking led by an intermunicipal community. […] It’s been a challenging and administratively complex process, demanding significant effort from us all. However, it also demonstrates that […] the unity, consensus, and concerted effort among Alto Alentejo’s 15 municipalities was, I wouldn’t say the secret, but the key to making this happen,” he added.
The mayor of Crato also recalled the challenges faced over the “more than 60 years” leading up to the commencement of the dam’s construction, expressing confidence that this is “a very important and interesting project.”
“It’s a paradigm shift in agriculture and farming. It’s also an energy hope for this area and an impetus for the region with an investment of around 220 million euros. It’s the largest investment ever in Alto Alentejo,” Joaquim Diogo highlighted.
For the Crato mayor, “all municipalities” in this region stand to benefit from the dam, directly affecting eight municipalities in public supply terms, and indirectly as well.
“With Pisão being a zone where Tejo water will pass to other dams, they’ll all indirectly benefit. There’s also the energy, agricultural, and livestock component,” he detailed, suggesting that for three or four years, there will be a significant financial, economic, and employment boost in Alto Alentejo that should be consolidated for the future.
Expressing eagerness to return to the Pisão Dam for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development also described the project as “structural and infrastructural.”
“In our view, it will change the configuration of this region’s geography. It is one of the most important projects ever undertaken in Alto Alentejo, a project the population has awaited for many decades,” remarked Hélder Reis.
