Portuguese utility says renewables covered 91% of demand in March

Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the grid operator in Portugal, says that renewables covered 91% of national electricity demand in March. This marks the third consecutive month in which clean energy has exceeded 80% of total power demand.

April 2, 2024 Pilar Sánchez Molina

Image: Voltalia

Renewable energy covered 91% of total electricity demand in Portugal in March, according to data from the country’s grid operator, REN.

Hydroelectric energy had the largest share at 47%, followed by wind at 31%, solar at 6%, and biomass at 5%. Natural gas production accounted for the remaining share.

It is the third consecutive month that renewables exceeded 80% of total national demand, following 88% in February and 81% in January. In the first three months of this year, renewables production accounted for 89% of demand – the highest figure for the first quarter since 1978.

In 2023, renewable energy was responsible for 61% of electricity consumption in Portugal, with a total of 31.2 TWh – the highest figure ever reached in the national system. In October, Portugal’s mix was 100% renewable for an entire weekend.

In March, electricity consumption grew by 1.6% year on year, or 2.9%, if the impact of temperature and the number of working days are considered.

The natural gas market recorded a year-on-year drop of 5.8% in March. This was due to the behavior of the electricity production segment, which fell 24% year on year due to the high availability of renewable energy.

Portugal’s updated energy strategy aims for 80% of electricity in the country to be renewable by 2026, and 85% by 2030. The revised plan sets a target of 20.4 GW of operational PV systems in 2030, with 14.9 GW for utility-scale plants and 5.5 GW for distributed generation.

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