Lisbon, Jan. 2, 2025 (Lusa) - In 2024, renewable electricity production reached its highest ever figure in the Portuguese electricity system, supplying 71% of electricity consumption, REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais said in a statement.
In its annual balance sheet, released on Wednesday, REN, the country's electricity and natural gas infrastructure manager, said that 2024 was the second year with the highest consumption ever in the national electricity system, only surpassed by the all-time high of 2010.
Electricity consumption supplied from the public grid totalled 51.4 TWh (terawatt hours), up 1.3% on the previous year (and 2% when correcting for the effects of temperature and the number of working days).
Renewable production totalled 36.7 TWh, the "highest figure ever in the national electricity system", which REN justifies by "the growth of renewable installations and the overall favourable conditions".
Overall, renewables supplied 71% of national electricity consumption in 2024.
The end of 2024 saw lower hydroelectric production with the hydropower capability index standing at 1.16 (still above the historical average of 1.0). In wind power, the annual index was 1.06 (above the historical average of 1.0), while in solar production the index was 0.94 (below the historical average of 1), which REN attributes to less favourable conditions.
"Hydroelectric and wind power plants had similar weights in supplying the Portuguese system, with 28% and 27% respectively, while photovoltaics were close to 10% and biomass to 6%," said REN in the same press release.
As for non-renewable production, this was practically all natural gas, which totalled 5.1 TWh, the lowest figure since 1979 and representing only 10% of consumption.
"Natural gas production has decreased its market share, both due to the growing availability of renewable energy, but also due to the import balance, which in 2024 totalled 10.5 TWh, the highest ever in the domestic electricity system, which made it possible to supply 20% of domestic consumption," explained REN.
In the natural gas market, REN said that consumption in 2024 totalled 40.5 TWh, down 17% on 2023 and "the lowest annual consumption since 2003".
Supply to the system in 2024 was almost entirely from the Sines port Liquefied Natural Gas terminal (gas originating mainly in Nigeria and the United States).
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