Azores prepare for significant reduction in fuel oil consumption by 2028, with strategic focus on clean energy - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, stressed that the new projects involving geothermal, wind and solar photovoltaic energy, as well as battery storage systems, will “significantly reduce the Azores’ dependence on fuel oil, namely power generation, by 2028.”

The government official responsible for the energy sector emphasised that the implementation of these investments will lead to “a structural leap forward in the integration of renewable and endogenous energy sources,” resulting in an estimated reduction of about 37,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 4,300 kilolitres of diesel, based on consumption figures for 2025.

In this regard, Berta Cabral pointed out the role of Eletricidade dos Açores (EDA) in promoting innovative solutions for the Region’s energy independence, notably through its focus on synthetic fuels and green hydrogen.

In this context, EDA is part of the Green Hysland – Technical Assistance Programme (2026), which aims to carry out a pre-feasibility study on green hydrogen applications in an island context, with a particular focus on the island of Santa Maria.

Meanwhile, it is participating in LIFE IP CLIMAZ – Action C.9.5 (2026–2027), which is dedicated to the systematic and comparative assessment of the best large-scale energy storage solutions for each island of the archipelago, including technologies that incorporate green hydrogen, with a view to maximising the uptake of renewable energy sources.

As part of the same programme, EDA is also involved in Action C.9.2 (2026–2028), which provides for the development of a pilot project to reduce emissions through the use of low-carbon alternative fuels, such as HVO, methane and ethanol, as well as hydrogen-based solutions.

In addition, there is the participation in the Azores 2030 Operational Programme – Green Hydrogen Project (2026–2028), which aims to explore the technical and economic feasibility of using surplus geothermal energy for hydrogen production, so that it can be stored and subsequently converted into electricity during periods of peak demand, or directly used in industry and transport.

The regional company is also part of the CE4EU – Follower Islands Programme, currently under review, which is studying low-carbon maritime mobility solutions, including the possibility of operating electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered ferries.

For Berta Cabral, these initiatives “position the Azores at the forefront of the energy transition in island territories,” reinforcing the Region’s sustainability, as well as its supply security and energy self-sufficiency