Renewables already supply 61% of electricity consumption in Portugal
According to data released today by REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, hydroelectric was responsible for 28%, wind 24%, biomass 7% and photovoltaic 3.7%.
Renewable energy production supplied 61% of electricity consumption in Portugal in the first nine months of the year, according to data released today by REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais.
Hydroelectric was responsible for 28%, wind 24%, biomass 7% and photovoltaic 3.7%.
Non-renewable production, in turn, supplied 31% of consumption, split between natural gas with 29% and coal with 2%, while the remaining 8% corresponded to imported energy.
In the first nine months of the year, the hydroelectric generability index registered 1.13 points, compared to the historical average of 1 and wind generability index 0.98 points (compared to the historical average of 1), according to REN.
In September, electricity consumption was practically in line with the same month the previous year, registering a negative year-on-year change of 0.3%, or positive of 0.7% considering the correction of temperature effects and the number of working days.
At the end of the third quarter, consumption accumulated a variation, compared to the same period of the previous year, of 1.8%, or 2.4%, with a correction of temperature and working days.
Relative to 2019, a drop in consumption of 1.7% was recorded.
In the month under review, conditions for hydroelectric generation were close to the average regime with the respective index registering 1.01 (historical average equal to 1), while in wind generation, a producibility index of 1.12 (historical average equal to 1) was recorded.
The downward trend recorded in recent months continued in the natural gas market, with a year-on-year contraction of 12% in September, resulting from a 17% drop in the electricity generation market and 7% in the conventional segment, which covers all other consumption.
“The drop in the conventional segment was due to the reduction in consumption at large industrial clients,” explains REN.
In the period from January to September, the consumption of natural gas, compared to the same period of the previous year, registered a contraction of 3.5%, with the growth of 4.2% in the conventional segment not being enough to offset the 16% drop in the power generation segment.
Compared to the same period of 2019, there was a 5% reduction, the energy network management company added.
