{"id":65167,"date":"2026-05-25T03:27:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T01:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=65167"},"modified":"2026-06-19T22:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T20:57:10","slug":"the-electra-del-lima-an-abandoned-jewel-of-northern-portugals-industrial-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/05\/25\/the-electra-del-lima-an-abandoned-jewel-of-northern-portugals-industrial-past\/","title":{"rendered":"The Electra del Lima, an abandoned jewel of northern Portugal's industrial past"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was a time when industrial buildings were constructed not only with functionality in mind, but also aesthetics.<\/p>\n

The incredible green landscapes of the Azores, the westernmost territory of Europe<\/a><\/rel>
\nA village and a bridge submerged and forgotten in a reservoir in Portugal<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

In the town of Ponte da Barca, in northern Portugal<\/strong>, one can still see an abandoned example of that era when some factories resembled cathedrals: the Electra do Lima, a former reversible hydroelectric power plant<\/strong> built between 1908 and 1922, which began operating as a private company in April 1922. The long construction period was due to the economic difficulties Portugal faced during the World War I.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially, the power plant was equipped with two generating units of 8750 kVA each<\/a>, which were commissioned in 1922 and 1923. This plant produced more than 300 kWh in the second half of the 1960s.<\/strong> In 1980, the company Electra del Lima was nationalized, becoming part of the state-owned company Electricidade de Portugal (EDP). The power plant ceased operations in the mid-1990s<\/strong>, and was later transferred to the Ponte da Barca City Council for use as a museum.<\/p>\n

A week ago, Exploring the Unbeaten Path<\/a> published a video showing the interior of this power plant<\/strong>, which currently appears to be abandoned:<\/p>\n