The Renewable Electricity Bulletin prepared by the Portuguese Renewable Energy (APREN) highlights that, in the first seven months of the year, renewable energies contributed more than 83% to the generation of a total of 28,458 GWh of electricity in mainland Portugal.
This means an increase of 14.2% percentage points compared to the same period last year, along with a drop in fossil electricity production of more than 15% compared to the values recorded in 2023. The decrease is mainly justified by a drop in energy production from natural gas and the growth of hydro technology, which already accounts for 38.3% of the electricity consumed in Portugal.
In view of these figures, APREN underlines the positive results of electricity production in mainland Portugal in the accumulated period from January to July 2024, which show the sector's commitment to the energy transition and its effect on reducing the effects of climate change.
The Bulletin also indicates that, between July 1 and 31, 2024, renewable incorporation was 77.1%, making up 2,309 GWh of the 2,993 GWh produced in the month under review. Despite the decrease of 5.6% compared to July 2023, the increase in hydro and solar production stands out, respectively by 12.7 p.p. and 8.1 p.p.
Wind technology was the main source of energy production during the month of July, representing 25.6% of the electricity produced in Portugal. Hydro, on the other hand, recorded the highest number of hours of market closure, with 1,988 non-consecutive hours. The remaining forms of renewable energy accounted for more than a quarter (29.4%) of production in the same period, with 1,383 hours.
From 1 to 30 June, Portugal ranked fourth among the countries considered to have the highest renewable incorporation in Europe, reaching 83.8%. It was behind Norway, Austria and Denmark, which obtained 98.9%, 85.4% and 83.8% respectively. Regarding the average hourly price, between January 1st and July 31st, the Iberian Electricity Market (MIBEL) in Portugal was €44.3/MWh, which represents a reduction of 50.9% compared to the same period last year. During this period, 1,627 non-consecutive hours were recorded, in which renewable generation was sufficient to supply the electricity consumption of mainland Portugal, with an average hourly price in MIBEL of 35.1 €/MWh.
The results achieved in July 2024 and in the first seven months of the year reinforce Portugal's leadership in renewable energy production.
