According to latest figures, Portugal’s renewable energy production in March exceeded the country’s electricity consumption for the month.
Portugal Generated More Than Enough Renewable Energy To Power The Whole Country
Latest statistics released show Portugal produced so much renewable electricity that it outstripped the entire nation’s consumption for the month of March, with 55% of that energy produced through hydro power, and 42% from wind. The total March production of renewables also avoided the emission of 1.8 million tons of CO2.
Renewable electricity production accounted for 103.6 % of Portuguese electricity consumption
Last week, APREN, the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association and ZERO, Sustainable Earth System Association, reported that Portugal’s renewable energy production in March 2018 exceeded the country’s consumption for the month.
According to data from REN (the Portuguese Transmission System Operator), the renewable electricity produced in March (4,812 GWh) exceeded the consumption of mainland Portugal (4,647 GWh).
Renewable electricity production accounted for 103.6 % of Portuguese electricity consumption in March, a value unmatched in the last 40 years.
However, there were some hours when thermal fossil power plants and/or imports were required to complement Portuguese electricity supply. These periods were nevertheless fully compensated by other periods of greater renewable production.
Another positive outcome from March was the role renewable energy played in lowering the average daily wholesale market price for electricity, which came in at €39.75 per megawatt-hour (MWh), well down on the €43.94/MWh a year ago.
Source: WindEurope.org
Environmental groups welcome this as a major milestone after years of investment in renewable energy
The renewable energy association of Portugal, APREN, and Portuguese environmental group, ZERO, welcomed the news in a joint statement.
“This data, besides indicating a historical milestone in the Portuguese electricity sector, demonstrate the technical viability, security and reliability of the operation of the Electrical System, with a large share of renewable electricity. The previous maximum occurred in February of 2014 with 99.2%,” they said.
APREN and ZERO added:
“We consider it vital that national public policies and the European framework called ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’, which is currently in the final phase of decision, should enable Portugal to meet its carbon neutrality objectives by 2050, ensuring a strong expansion of solar energy and allowing decarbonisation through the increase of electricity demand in the transport and in the heating and cooling sectors.”
Note: In March, the daily share of renewable electricity in the consumption had a minimum of 86%, on March 7, and a maximum of 143%, on March 11. It should also be highlighted a 70-hour period, beginning on day 9, when the consumption was fully assured by renewable sources and another period of 69 hours, beginning at day 12.
Source: Metamag.org
Related: SCOTLAND PROVED THAT WIND CAN POWER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
Wind turbines in Scotland ‘set new record’ for March (2017), but environmentalists have warned continued political support for onshore wind developments is required if carbon emissions are to be cut.
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