Presentation of the Coimbra Region Intermunicipal Forest Container Network

On December 14, in Mortágua, the presentation session of the Intermunicipal Network of Forestry Containers of the Coimbra Region, part of the project “Regional Networks for the Valorization of Woody Biomass,” took place. The session, attended by the Secretary of State for Forests, Rui Ladeira, also included the signing of the protocol between CIM-Região de Coimbra and ALTRI (responsible for the final destination of the residues).

This project involves the installation of containers and parks for collecting agricultural and forestry residues across the municipalities of CIM-Região de Coimbra. Created through the transForm Agenda, its goal is to facilitate the management of agricultural and forestry residues, reducing the risk of fires caused by burning in critical periods and promoting the energetic valorization of these residues. The project aims to valorize biomass within a circular economy perspective and implement alternative methods to burning residues by providing infrastructures across various municipalities for their deposition and utilization.

During the session, speeches were given by the President of CIM-Região de Coimbra, Emílio Torrão; the Executive Secretary of CIM-RC, Jorge Brito; the Mayor of Mortágua, Ricardo Pardal; the President of the National Monitoring Commission of the PRR, Pedro Dominguinhos; and ALTRI’s Administrator, Miguel Silveira. The event was attended by Mayors from the Coimbra Region, the Regional Director of ICNF, the Executive Coordinator of ADICES, Forestry Office Technicians, and representatives from ALTRI and CoLAB ForestWISE.

The Mayor of Mortágua, Ricardo Pardal, acting as host, welcomed the Secretary of State and other entities present, thanking them for choosing Mortágua as the venue for presenting this project and signing the Collaboration Agreement between CIM-RC and ALTRI.

Ricardo Pardal highlighted that “Mortágua is a forest municipality” with a strong focus on production, “which we are very proud of and has always been part of Mortágua’s development project, generating wealth, employment, and economic growth for the municipality.” He also expressed gratitude for the effort and dedication of the teams from the Municipality, Parish Councils, Associations, and especially the people of Mortágua, “for the way they live, work, and preserve the municipality’s forest.”

Emílio Torrão, President of CIM-Região de Coimbra, stated that this protocol represents more than just the installation of new equipment, calling it “the materialization of a commitment to preserving our forest heritage and ensuring everyone’s well-being.”

He emphasized that this is one of many initiatives CIM-RC has implemented in this area, citing examples such as the creation of the Intermunicipal Forestry Technical Office, Forest Sapper Brigades, the forest video surveillance system, the intermunicipal machinery park, bioeconomy projects, the implementation of Village Condominiums, and projects under the Intermunicipal Climate Change Adaptation Plan, such as Resist (to increase the territory’s resilience to climate change), BeeFood (support for preserving pollinator species and natural flora), and the installation of forest mosaics.

“By providing this equipment in our region, we are offering citizens a simple, accessible, and correct way to dispose of these materials, avoiding their accumulation in inappropriate places, which poses risks, or being burned,” he said. He added, “This way, we protect biodiversity, improve air and soil quality, promote the circular economy, and above all, foster environmental awareness.”

The Secretary of State for Forests stated that CIM-Região de Coimbra has done an excellent job of networking to create parks and place containers for forestry, garden, and farm residues, calling it a crucial step in reducing ignitions. “This is an important step, and the container network is, without a doubt, the alternative people needed to avoid burnings and also an excellent opportunity to monetize the forest.” He further remarked that this initiative is an example to be replicated by other communities.

Miguel Silveira, Administrator of ALTRI, noted that Mortágua “is a municipality that takes good care of its forest and has always worked exemplarily in protecting and preserving it.” He recalled that Mortágua was a pioneer in utilizing forest biomass, with the installation of the first Biomass Thermal Power Plant in 1999. This project significantly removes forest residues: “In the forestry and exploitation model existing in Mortágua, collecting forest biomass for energy valorization is already part of the process. This intermediate step was missing—collecting agricultural and forestry pruning residues that aren’t suitable for the power plant but can help reduce the risk of fire and at the same time valorize biomass,” he said.

Pedro Dominguinhos, President of the National Monitoring Commission of the PRR, highlighted the potential of mobilizing agendas in various areas, particularly in forestry, and underscored the significant challenge of implementing PRR investments in this area, noting that they must be physically completed by June 2026.

In addition to the presentation session, the event included a visit to the container installed in Mortágua, near the EN228 road at Cruz de Vila Nova, and a brief technical explanation of the project as part of the transForm Agenda.

Through the intermunicipal network of forestry containers, citizens can deposit residues from agricultural and forestry pruning, land cleaning, and garden maintenance. These residues will then be collected and directed for appropriate treatment. The containers include indications of the types of residues that can be deposited.