Members of a party of Chinese businesspeople visiting Portugal have expressed interest in putting a floating solar power station on the surface of the Azibo Reservoir in the north of the country, Lusa reports.

The Portuguese news agency says the energy produced could be used to improve agricultural irrigation systems and so increase farm output in the region.

The report quotes Portugal-China Young Entrepreneurs Association President Alberto Carvalho Neto as saying the Chinese visitors include representatives of companies that import from Portugal each year €4 million (about US$4.6 million) worth of farm products, such as Nam Kwong, an enterprise owned by the government of the southern Chinese province Guangdong.

Mr Carvalho Neto said the visitors believe investment in northern Portugal could lead to their importing each year farm products worth twice that amount.

“The products most in demand in China are olive oil, almonds, chestnuts and pork. Sausages could also be sold, in Macau and Hong Kong,” he said.

The visitors also expressed interest in building composting facilities for turning waste into agricultural fertiliser, Lusa says.