The production of renewable energies in Portugal reached a new historic record in 2023, and provided 61% of the electricity consumed in the Iberian country, the manager of national energy networks (REN) said on Tuesday. For a total of 31.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) in renewable energy, wind power produced 25% of the electricity consumed in Portugal last year, ahead of hydroelectricity (23%), photovoltaic energy ( 7%) and biomass (6%), REN said in a press release.
It is the production of energy from hydroelectric origin which experienced the greatest increase (+70%), after a year 2022 marked by drought, followed by photovoltaic production (+43%), which benefited from a gradual increase in installed capacity.
While total electricity consumption reached its highest level since 2018, non-renewable energy production accounted for only 19% of this consumption, as Portugal imported 20% of its electricity needs in 2023. Consumption of natural gas, imported by sea mainly from Nigeria (42%) and the United States (40%), on the other hand fell by 21% over one year, falling to its lowest level since 2014.