Tejo Power Station

A former coal power station in Lisbon's Belém district, now the Electricity Museum — featuring original turbines, striking industrial architecture, and Portugal's energy history.

Central Tejo is a former coal-fired power station in the Belém district of Lisbon, which supplied the Portuguese capital with electricity from 1909 to 1972. Built by the gas and electricity company CRGE, it was the heart of Lisbon's power supply for decades. The building was repeatedly rebuilt and extended, making different phases of construction and production legible — from the early era of electrification to the postwar period. Today the sprawling industrial building houses the Museu da Eletricidade (Electricity Museum), which vividly tells the history of electricity in Portugal. Original machinery, massive turbines, and raw industrial architecture make Central Tejo one of Lisbon's most compelling museums. It sits directly on the Tagus riverbank, within walking distance of the Torre de Belém and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos.