With a record production of 36.7 TWh, the highest value ever reached in the national electricity system, renewable energy provided 71% of national electricity consumption last year, the second highest consumption year never reached, according to REN data.
In terms of energy consumption in the national electricity system, last year was the second year with the highest consumption ever, exceeded only, by around 2%, by the historic maximum reached in 2010. “L he last year, the consumption of electricity supplied by the public network totaled 51.4 TWh, with growth of 1.3% compared to the previous year (2.0% if we take into account the correction effects of temperature and of the number of working days)”, indicates REN in a press release sent to press rooms.
Consumption which, for the most part, was ensured by the production of renewable energy, resulting from the “growth of renewable installations and the generally favorable conditions observed”, underlines the regulator.
“Despite the end of the year marked by less water production, the hydroelectric producibility index is 1.16 (historical average of 1),” specifies Aneel. In wind power, the annual index is 1.06 (historical average of 1), in solar 0.94 (historical average of 1).
“Hydroelectric and wind power plants had similar weights in the supply of the national system, with 28% and 27%, respectively, while photovoltaic plants were close to 10% and biomass 6%,” details Aneel . The regulator highlights the annual growth of 24% in hydroelectric production and 37% in photovoltaic production, “which had the highest share of all time in national consumption, due to the strong expansion of this technology in the national electricity system”, he underlines.
Non-renewable production, “virtually all natural gas”, totaled 5.1 TWh, “the lowest value since 1979 (at the time, non-renewable production mainly used fuel oil), representing this year only 10% of consumption”, indicates REN.
“Natural gas production has reduced its penetration, both due to the increasing availability of renewable energy, but also due to the import balance which, in 2024, amounted to 10.5 TWh, the highest ever achieved in the national electricity system, and which made it possible to provide 20% of national consumption”, he also underlines.
In December, consumption fell by 1.4% compared to December 2023, “although with the correction of the effects of temperature and working days, a slight growth of 0.2% is observed”, specifies REN.
In the natural gas market, consumption totaled 40.5 TWh, an annual drop of 17%, the lowest annual consumption since 2003.
“If the electricity generation segment has maintained the downward trend of recent years, with a strong contraction of 56%, in the conventional segment, which covers other consumers, there has been an annual growth of 2 %, the first positive record after four consecutive years of decline in consumption,” says the regulator.
The supply of the national system in 2024 was achieved almost entirely from the Sines LNG terminal – mainly coming from Nigeria and the United States, which represented, respectively, 53% and 41% of the national supply – while 'through the interconnection with Spain the entries were residual.
