Portugal sets new record as energy production exceeds demand

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Renewable energy production in Portugal reached a new high, exceeding consumption needs for 149 hours in a row, said the energy manager REN on Monday.

The previous record was 131 hours, recorded in 2019.

However, this time, “between 04:00 on 31 October and 09:00 today, 6 November, i.e. for more than six consecutive days, 1102 GWh [Gigawatt-hours] were produced, exceeding the national consumption figure for the same period by 262 GWh (840 GWh),” REN said in a statement.

In that 149-hour period, two more records were broken.

The first was between 10 pm on 31 October and 9 am on Monday during which renewable energy production exceeded the amount needed to supply the entire national grid (including the pumping needs of hydroelectric reservoirs) without recourse to conventional thermal generation sources, namely natural gas combined cycle power plants.

In total, this amounted to 131 consecutive hours, almost triple the 56-hour record set in 2021.

The other was achieved between 10 am on 1 November and 9 am on 5 November and corresponds to 95 consecutive hours in which renewable production was greater than consumption, without the need to use natural gas combined cycle power plants and with Portugal exporting to Spain, surpassing the previous record of 52 hours set in 2018.

“These important records confirm that Portugal has maintained a sustainable path in the progressive integration of endogenous renewable sources while maintaining the primary objectives of security of supply and quality of service,” said REN.

(Maria João Pereira – edited by Nuno Simas | Lusa.pt)