So when I read about another major investment by the group in Europe, I do not just see a new energy project. I see yet another demonstration of something that Portugal does not always know how to value sufficiently: the ability of our companies to grow, internationalise, and assume relevant positions in some of the most strategic sectors of the European economy.

The most recent example comes from Poland, where Greenvolt Power has strengthened its partnership with BYD Energy Storage for the development of the Siedlce BESS project. With an expected capacity of 600 MW and a storage capacity of 2.4 GWh, it is expected to become the largest battery storage system in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with commercial operation expected by the end of 2027.

But to reduce Greenvolt’s story to Poland would be to misunderstand the dimension that the company has reached. Today, the group is present in several European and international markets, developing solar, wind and storage energy projects in countries such as Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Greece, among many others. We are faced with a Portuguese company that has long since stopped looking at our borders as the limit of its ambition.

Italy is a good example of this strategy. In a country that faces the enormous challenge of accelerating the energy transition, increasing renewable production and modernising the capacity of its electricity grid, Greenvolt has been developing a relevant presence in solar, wind and storage projects. The same is true in the United Kingdom, one of the most advanced European markets in the development of large-scale batteries, and in Germany, where the transformation of the energy system requires massive investments in flexibility, storage and integration of renewables.

That is precisely where, in my opinion, lies the real importance of this story. For many years, the discussion about the energy transition has focused almost exclusively on the ability to produce more solar and wind energy. Today we know that this is no longer enough. The greater the renewable production, the greater the need to store energy in times of excess to use it when demand increases or when the sun and wind are not available.

Poland clearly demonstrates this challenge. The growth of renewable production has led to more and more situations in which part of the available electricity cannot be absorbed by the grid. Large battery systems make it possible to store these surpluses and return them later to the system, contributing to greater stability, flexibility and energy security.

In this market alone, Greenvolt currently has a portfolio of 238 MW in wind projects, 657 MW in solar photovoltaic and 2,595 MW in battery storage systems. With the completion of the Siedlce project, the partnership with BYD Energy Storage will reach around 4 GWh of storage capacity in Poland.

These numbers are important, but for me, there is an even bigger message. Portugal should not only aim to produce cheap renewable energy. It must create companies capable of developing projects, technology, knowledge and investment for the global energy transition.

This is what Greenvolt represents.

At a time when energy has become a matter of economic competitiveness, sovereignty and European security, companies capable of developing energy infrastructure are of strategic importance that goes far beyond their sector.

Portugal is a small country in geographical dimension. But their companies do not have to think small. Greenvolt demonstrates that it is possible to be born in Portugal, grow internationally and help build the energy infrastructure of countries much larger than ours.

And perhaps this is precisely the kind of history that we should learn to value the most. Because while we continue so often to discuss whether Portugal has potential, some Portuguese companies are already on the ground proving that the real issue is not the size of the country where you are born.

It is the dimension of ambition with which one decides to compete.