Renewable energy production supplied 82% of electricity consumption in the first half of the year, the largest historical semiannual contribution, according to data from REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais, published this Monday.
“In the first six months of the year, renewable energy production supplied 82 percent of electricity consumption, the largest half-year contribution in the past 45 years,” REN said in a statement.
According to the national electricity system manager, hydroelectric power accounted for 39% of the supply of consumption, wind power 28%, photovoltaic power 9% and biomass 6%, while production through natural gas was responsible for 8%. The remaining 10% corresponded to the import balance.
In the first six months of the year, Electricity consumption was 1.6% higher than the same period of the previous yearreaching 2.5%, considering the effects of temperature and working days. The hydroelectric producibility index stood at 1.33 (historical average equal to 1), wind power at 1.06 and solar power at 0.93.
REN also noted that, in June, due to temperatures below normal values, electricity consumption fell by 1.7%, although correcting the effects of temperature and work hours there was an increase of 0.7%.
That same month, renewable production supplied 57% of consumption, non-renewable production 4% and imported energy, which recorded the highest monthly balance in history, accounted for the remaining 39%. Last month, the producibility indices were below the average values (0.91 for hydroelectric, 0.92 for wind and 0.89 for solar).
In June, the natural gas market saw a 40% year-on-year drop in consumption, with a 96% drop in the energy production segment and a 3.2% drop in the conventional segment (which covers the rest of the consumers).
Until June, the annual cumulative consumption of natural gas registered a fall of 19%, explained by a 66% drop in the electricity market, partially offset by a positive evolution of 3.4% in the conventional segment, in the case of the lowest gas consumption in a first half since 2003.
In June, domestic supply was entirely provided from the Sines liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, and the balance of trade through the interconnection with Spain recorded strong exports, equivalent to around 55% of national consumption.
Source: Observadora
