Why Portugal in 2026
Three kinds of project are filling Portuguese duct shops' order books: data centres at Sines and around Lisbon, hotels and offices in Lisbon and Porto, and health buildings funded partly by the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). Underneath sits the everyday commercial and industrial work.
Data centres: Sines and the Lisbon region
The largest single project is the Start Campus data centre campus in the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone on the Alentejo coast. Its first building, SIN01, was completed by the Portuguese contractor Engexpor and opened in 2025; Colliers lists it at 31 MW and fully leased. The company says the second building, SIN02, is designed for 180 MW of IT load, with works targeted to start in February 2026 and first customers expected around mid-2027. The whole campus is planned at about 1.2 GW.
Around Lisbon, Colliers' Iberian Region Snapshot for October 2025 to March 2026 counted 1,389 MW of planned IT capacity, up from 373 MW a year earlier, against about 25 MW actually operating. Merlin Properties and Edged account for most of that pipeline, with 80 MW under construction for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2027. AtlasEdge opened its first Lisbon facility, LIS001, and raised 253 million euros of green financing to grow its campus to 30 MW, and Digital Realty bought a 2.4 MW facility in Carcavelos. Colliers puts planned IT capacity across Portugal at over 2.6 GW. Most of it is planned capacity that depends on grid connections, so treat it as a pipeline, not a fixed schedule.
Be realistic about what a data hall needs. White space is often cooled by room or in-row units, or by liquid cooling, with little ductwork, but electrical rooms, battery rooms, generator halls, offices and smoke extract all need sheet metal, and much of it is large rectangular duct. Our data centre duct manufacturing guide covers the details.
Hotels and offices in Lisbon and Porto
JLL reported in June 2026 that 70 hotels with 7,520 beds were under construction in Portugal for completion by 2028, 60% of them upscale or luxury, with half of the new supply in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. In 2025 another 83 hotels opened, adding 4,080 beds. Existing hotels are also being bought and repositioned: JLL says hotels made up 43% of Portuguese real estate investment in the first half of 2026, with deals including the Corinthia Lisbon for around 150 million euros.
Offices add to that: Cushman & Wakefield reports 272,750 m² of office space due for completion in Greater Lisbon over the next three years, 204,430 m² of it under construction in mid-2026. Hotel and office work means many short runs, transitions and fittings, often in existing buildings with a fixed opening date. Shops that turn drawings into finished rectangular duct in days, not weeks, win it.
PRR-funded hospitals and health centres
The biggest health project is the new Hospital de Todos os Santos, also called Hospital de Lisboa Oriental, in Marvila, eastern Lisbon. It is a public-private partnership built by a consortium led by Mota-Engil; construction started in October 2024 at a cost of about 380 million euros, with up to 100 million euros from the PRR and about 875 inpatient beds, and opening is expected in 2027. In primary care, the government signed PRR contracts in June 2024 for 124 new health centres and the refurbishment of 347 more, worth over 547 million euros. Further out, the Hospital Central do Algarve between Faro and Loulé went to tender in February 2026 as a 426.7 million euro partnership, with construction planned from early 2028. Operating theatres, isolation rooms and laboratories need tightly sealed, often stainless ductwork; see our cleanroom duct guide and galvanised vs stainless comparison.
Standards and codes for ductwork in Portugal
Portugal builds ductwork to European standards. IPQ, the Portuguese standards body, adopts them as Portuguese standards, so specifications cite them as EN or NP EN. Around them sit national rules for energy, indoor air and fire safety. The project specification names the editions that apply.
- EN 1505 and EN 1506: dimensions of rectangular and circular sheet metal ducts and fittings.
- EN 1507 and EN 12237: strength and leakage requirements for rectangular and circular sheet metal ducts. A combined European draft, prEN 18289, went to public enquiry in early 2026 to update EN 1505, 1506, 1507 and 12237, so check the edition named in your contract. Seams, joints and sealant decide which leakage class you reach; our air leakage classes guide explains the classes.
- SCE and energy performance: many designers still talk about REH and RECS, the housing and commercial regulations of the 2013 energy regime (Decreto-Lei 118/2013). The current framework is Decreto-Lei 101-D/2020 of 7 December 2020, which sets energy requirements for new and renovated buildings and regulates the SCE energy certification system. Portaria 138-I/2021 sets minimum requirements for the building envelope and technical systems, and Portaria 138-G/2021 covers indoor air quality in commercial and service buildings, both published on 1 July 2021.
- Fire safety (SCIE): the fire safety regime of Decreto-Lei 220/2008, with its technical regulation approved by Portaria 1532/2008 and revised by Portaria 135/2020. Where ducts cross fire compartment walls they need fire dampers or fire-resisting construction as the fire safety design requires; see our fire and smoke damper guide and kitchen extract guide, which matters for hotel work.
One practical point: European specifications describe transverse joints by performance, not by method, so you can choose between a flange rolled from the duct wall (TDF) and a slide-on profile system (TDC). Longitudinal seams are usually Pittsburgh. Our TDF vs TDC guide compares the two flange systems.
Importing duct machinery into Portugal
- CE marking: machinery placed on the Portuguese market needs CE marking and an EU Declaration of Conformity. Until 19 January 2027 that is under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. From 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies directly in every EU country and repeals the directive. Taokron machines are CE marked with a Declaration of Conformity, and we confirm which edition applies to your delivery date.
- Customs duty: machines from another EU country pay none. Machines from outside the EU pay the EU Common Customs Tariff. Duct forming, folding and shearing machines usually fall under HS heading 8462, where published tariff tables show rates of 1.7% or 2.7% depending on the subheading. The exact rate depends on the 10-digit TARIC code and the origin, so ask your despachante oficial to classify the machine before you budget.
- IVA: import IVA is charged at 23% in mainland Portugal, 22% in Madeira and 16% in the Azores, on the customs value plus duty and costs, and is recoverable for VAT-registered businesses. Companies that file monthly returns, have no tax debts and meet the other conditions can opt, through the Portal das Finanças, to account for import IVA in their periodic return instead of paying it at customs. Check with your accountant.
Portugal's main container ports include Sines, Leixões near Porto, Lisbon and Setúbal. Tell us the port nearest your workshop when you request a quotation. Our importing guide covers the general paperwork.
Power supply: 400 V three phase, 50 Hz
Portugal uses the standard European supply: 230 V single phase and 400 V between phases on three phase, at 50 Hz. Taokron machines for Portugal are wired for 400 V 50 Hz, so there is no frequency conversion to worry about. If you are moving into a new unit, check that it has a three phase connection and enough contracted power for a duct line, plasma table and compressor running together. See duct machine voltage and frequency by country.
Typical Portuguese shop set-ups and the machines that fit
Rectangular duct shop for contractors and fit-outs
Most Portuguese duct shops make galvanised rectangular duct for hotels, offices, shops and housing. The core of a modern shop is a coil-fed line: the Rectangular Duct Line II SBAL-II (0.5 to 2.0 mm, 1250 or 1550 mm width) or the Auto Duct Line SBAL-III uncoils, levels, notches, shears and beads blanks to length, which replaces most of the manual marking and cutting. Add a Pittsburgh lockformer (SBLC series) for longitudinal seams, a pneumatic folder for the bends, and a flange former for the transverse joints.
For those joints you have two routes. A TDF flange forming machine (SBTDF) rolls the flange directly on the duct wall, with no separate profile to buy. A TDC flange profile roll former (SBTDC series) makes slide-on profiles in house, so you control stock and cost instead of buying bars. Corners for either system come from an auto corner making machine, and a pneumatic corner inserting machine fits them quickly.
Volume shop for data centres, hotels and hospitals
Shops chasing data centre packages, a hotel group's programme or a hospital contract need output and consistent quality over thousands of square metres. The Auto Duct Line SBAL-V is a U-shape line from coil to finished panel for TDF, angle flange and drive cleat duct, and our SBAL-V vs SBAL-III comparison helps you choose. A Duct Zipper SBHF-1.5×1500TDF closes seams automatically on 0.8 to 1.5 mm duct, a Plasma Cutter SBPC1550 cuts transitions, offsets and elbows from nested drawings, and a hydraulic folder handles heavier gauges and long bends.
Round duct
Spiral duct suits exposed ceilings, car parks, warehouses and industrial extract. The Spiral Tubeformer SBTF-1500 or SBTF-1602 forms round duct, and the Spiral Duct Flanging Machine SBFB-1600 turns flanges on round duct ends. For a real example, see Kavanagh Industries in Sydney, which added an SBTF-1602 in October 2026. For stainless hospital and kitchen extract, the stainless duct forming machine and the Automatic Stitchwelder SB-ZF1500 cover the seams that a lock cannot.
Labour and space
Portugal's national minimum wage for 2026 is 920 euros a month in mainland Portugal, paid 14 times a year, set by Decreto-Lei 139/2025 with a 5.7% increase on 2025. It is slightly higher in the Azores and Madeira. Sheet metal workers and machine operators earn more, and employer social security contributions come on top. The harder problem is finding skilled fitters: a coil-fed line lets a small crew produce what used to take several people marking and cutting by hand.
On space, the auto duct line is the longest item, with coil racks at one end and a run-out table at the other. Ask us for a layout drawing based on your building before you sign a lease, and leave room for coil deliveries, finished duct storage and truck loading. Location follows the work: the Lisbon region for data centres, hotels, offices and the new eastern Lisbon hospital, the Setúbal and Sines corridor for the Sines campus, and the Porto area for the north. Our factory layout guide has worked examples.
Working with Taokron from Portugal
- Machines built since 1994 and supplied to 100+ countries, with 60+ patents, from an ISO 9001:2015 factory
- CE marked with a Declaration of Conformity
- Wired for 400 V 50 Hz three phase
- Installation and commissioning quoted per engineer-day
- Replies within 12 hours by email at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +61 435 074 994
Get a Portugal-ready Taokron quotation →
FAQ
Which ductwork standards are used in Portugal?
Portugal builds sheet metal ductwork to the European standards, adopted as Portuguese standards by IPQ and cited as EN or NP EN: EN 1505 and EN 1506 for the dimensions of rectangular and circular ducts and fittings, EN 1507 for the strength and leakage of rectangular ducts, and EN 12237 for circular ducts. Around them sit the national rules: Decreto-Lei 101-D/2020 and the SCE energy certification system, with Portaria 138-I/2021 for technical systems and Portaria 138-G/2021 for indoor air quality in commercial and service buildings, and the SCIE fire safety regime of Decreto-Lei 220/2008 and its technical regulation. Always build to the editions named in the project specification.
Are REH and RECS still in force?
Designers still use the names, but REH and RECS were the housing and commercial building regulations of the 2013 energy regime, Decreto-Lei 118/2013. The current framework is Decreto-Lei 101-D/2020 of 7 December 2020, which regulates the SCE energy certification system, with the detailed requirements set by portarias published on 1 July 2021, including Portaria 138-I/2021 for building envelopes and technical systems and Portaria 138-G/2021 for indoor air quality in commercial and service buildings.
Do duct machines need CE marking in Portugal?
Yes. Machinery placed on the Portuguese market must carry CE marking with an EU Declaration of Conformity. Until 19 January 2027 that falls under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. From 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies directly in every EU country and repeals the directive. Taokron machines are CE marked with a Declaration of Conformity, and we confirm which edition applies to your delivery date.
What import duty and IVA apply to duct machinery in Portugal?
Machines bought from another EU country pay no customs duty. Machines from outside the EU pay the EU Common Customs Tariff; duct forming, folding and shearing machines usually fall under HS heading 8462, where published tariff tables show rates of 1.7% or 2.7% depending on the subheading. Ask your despachante oficial to confirm the 10-digit code. Import IVA is 23% in mainland Portugal, 22% in Madeira and 16% in the Azores, and is recoverable for VAT-registered businesses. Companies that meet the conditions can opt to account for import IVA in their periodic return instead of paying it at customs.
What voltage and frequency do duct machines need in Portugal?
Portugal uses the standard European supply: 230 V single phase and 400 V three phase at 50 Hz. Taokron machines for Portugal are wired for 400 V 50 Hz. Workshops need a three phase connection for a duct line, so check your contracted power with your supplier before the machines arrive.
Where is ductwork demand in Portugal coming from in 2026?
The main sources are data centres, led by the Start Campus campus at Sines and a pipeline of projects around Lisbon including Merlin Properties and Edged, AtlasEdge and Digital Realty; hotels, with JLL counting 70 under construction for completion by 2028, half of the new supply in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area; offices in Lisbon and Porto; and health buildings, including the new Hospital de Todos os Santos in eastern Lisbon, partly funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), and PRR-funded health centres.
Which machines should a new Portuguese duct shop start with?
A shop making galvanised rectangular duct for hotels, offices and fit-outs usually starts with a rectangular duct line or auto duct line, a Pittsburgh lockformer, a TDF flange former and a folder, and adds a duct zipper and corner machines as volume grows. Add a spiral tubeformer when round duct becomes regular work, and a plasma table when fittings volume grows. Send your duct sizes, gauges and monthly output and a Taokron engineer will propose a machine set within 12 hours.
