The PSD/Matosinhos will present on Wednesday, in a town hall meeting, a package of measures to "accelerate" the energy transition, which includes the creation of a desalination plant in the space of the old refinery in Leça da Palmeira.
"That the Municipality of Matosinhos promote investment (public or private), on the land of the old refinery of Leça da Palmeira, at a time when the water problem is real and critical, and when there is PRR [Recovery and Resilience Plan] support for this purpose, the construction of a desalination plant", suggests the leader of the PSD/Matosinhos in a proposal to which Lusa had access.
In a package of 12 measures, the PSD suggests the installation of sensors and meters of relative humidity and systems of rainwater harvesting in all gardens, parks, buildings and biological gardens of the municipality to reduce spending on water.
In the proposal, the social-democratic councilman Bruno Pereira also pointed out the need to accelerate the installation of photovoltaic panels, solar thermal and water heaters throughout the municipal buildings, as well as the replacement of light fixtures with LED technology to reduce spending on electricity.
Another of the proposals is based on the creation of a program for the attribution of financial and administrative support to the business sector of Matosinhos and to the houses themselves regarding the installation of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors as an alternative to energy dependence.
Defending the elaboration of a Master Plan for Public Lighting, Bruno Pereira also suggests the use of motion-activated technology, through sensors that are activated by the passage of a car or a pedestrian.
Given the closure of the Leça da Palmeira refinery, the PSD recommends the creation of a desalination plant on this land.
Bruno Pereira also recommends that the City Council, together with other entities, requalify the river systems affluent to the coast and promote public or private investment for the development of economic activities of the sea, including investing in the production of sea bases in order to produce energy from water.
Taking into account that 40% of the primary energy used in the municipality occurs in buildings (22% in residential and 18% in services), being responsible for 38% of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, the social-democrat defends the creation of an incentive system for construction and urban renewal for buildings that meet more ambitious energy efficiency criteria and that rewards passive construction.
Asking for particular attention to renewable energies, Bruno Pereira understood that one should move from simple consumers to energy producers, through partnerships for the installation and exploration of photovoltaic solar energy or wind energy production units in companies and residences.
"Matosinhos should bet on being a city preferably based on renewable energies", said the president of the PSD of Matosinhos.