Renewable energy supplied just 50.2% of Portugal’s energy consumption in October – the lowest percentage in the last two years, due to “particularly unfavourable” conditions, REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais has said today.
“In October, weather conditions were particularly unfavourable for renewable production,” the electricity and gas network managing company said in a statement, noting that the hydroelectric component registered an index of 0.64, wind power 0.82 and solar power 0.93.
According to REN, non-renewable production supplied 18% and the remaining 32% corresponded to imported energy.
REN’s data indicates that electricity consumption continues to grow in Portugal – having increased by 2.5% from January to October compared to the same period in 2024 (2% with temperature and working days correction) and 1.1% in the last month (1.7% with temperature and working days correction) compared to October 2024.
The natural gas market also continues to grow, with a year-on-year monthly increase of 18% in October, sustained by the electricity production segment, which recorded a year-on-year increase of over 100% this month.
In contrast, the conventional segment – which covers the remaining customers – recorded a year-on-year decrease of 5.8%.
According to REN, in the month of October alone, natural gas consumption recorded a year-on-year increase of 13%, resulting from 131% growth in the electricity production segment, which offset the 7.7% drop in the conventional segment.
In the electricity segment, between January and October, the hydroelectric productivity index stood at 1.33, the wind productivity index at 1.00 and the solar productivity index at 0.89 (historical average of 1).
During this period, renewable production supplied 68% of consumption – slightly below the 72% recorded in the same period of the previous year – divided between hydroelectric with 26%, wind with 24%, photovoltaic with 13%, and biomass with 5%.
REN highlights that photovoltaic production “continues to show high growth, with production 28% higher than in the same period last year”.
Production from natural gas supplied 15% of consumption, while the remaining 17% corresponded to imported energy.
The national system continued to be supplied predominantly through the Sines liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in October, with the interconnection with Spain accounting for 8%.
In the first 10 months of the year, supply also came mainly from the Sines terminal, with Nigeria and the USA accounting for 48% and 43% of the national system’s supply, respectively.
LUSA
