Six record days for Portuguese renewables
– New record for renewable energy in Portugal. National Green Sources ended a month full of satisfaction, providing in October 2023 67% of electricity consumed in the country. But the real boom began on October 31. From then until 6 November, RES not only met Portuguese electricity demand on a continuous basis but also exceeded it sharply.
The data comes from REN, the company responsible for the transmission of electricity and natural gas in the nation. In a quick press release, the operator explains that the production of renewable energy in Portugal has exceeded the needs of industrial customers and households throughout the country for 149 consecutive hours. To be precise, in over 6 days, green energy produced 1,102 GWh, exceeding 262 GWh the value of the national consumption of the same period. The previous record was in 2019, when the 100% renewable supply lasted 131 hours.
New Renewable Energy Records in Portugal
“In this period of 149 hours, two more highs were reached,” explains REN. “The first, between 22:00 on 31 October and 09:00 on 6 November, in which the production of renewable energy was higher than necessary to power the entire National Electricity System (including the pumping needs of hydroelectric basins), without any use of conventional thermal generation sources, that is, combined cycle natural gas plants […] The second maximum occurred between 10:00 am on 1 November and 9:00 am on 5 November, and corresponds to 95 consecutive hours in which renewable production was higher than consumption, without the need to use combined cycle plants and exporting the surplus by exporting to Spain”.
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As mentioned above the results come as a result of a month in itself already excellent. In October, Portugal’s clean energy accounted for 67% of its electricity consumption, leaving the other sources only 17%. The remaining 16% corresponded to imports. Husband especially a hydroelectric in full recovery and a sustained wind. Looking further ahead to the period January-October 2023, REN shows how Portuguese renewable production has provided 56% of consumption, divided between wind with 24%, hydroelectric with 18%, photovoltaic with 8% and biomass with 6%. Natural gas production covered 21% of consumption, while the remaining 23% corresponded to imported energy.