REN Redes Energeticas Nacionais : Renewable energy production covers 38% of the consumption in July

02.08.2018

In July, the effect of temperatures below normal values for this time of year led to a year-over-year decrease in the consumption of electricity for the second month in a row, now with 0.8% less. At the end of July, the accumulated annual variation is 2.9%, which is reduced to +2.1% when correcting for the effects of temperature and number of working days.

The hydrological conditions remained favourable, with a hydrological index of 1.76 (historical average equal to 1). In wind generation, conversely, conditions were negative, with the corresponding capability index at 0.71 (historical average of 1), the lowest number for July in REN's records (since 2001). On aggregate, renewable production supplied 38% of the domestic consumption plus net exports. Foreign trade balance continued to favour exports, this month amounting to around 14% of domestic consumption.

Since the beginning of the year, the annual hydropower capability index stands at 1.17 (historical average equal to 1), whereas the wind-power capability index is 1.03 (historical average equal to 1). From January to July, renewable production supplied 57% of consumption, broken down into 27% for hydropower, 23% for wind power, 5% for biomass, and 1.5% for photovoltaics. Non-renewable production supplied the remaining 43% of consumption: with natural gas accounting for 25% and coal for 18%. Foreign trade balance favoured exports, amounting to 7% of domestic consumption.

The market of natural gas, continued, in July, to record a trend of consumption reduction due to the drop in the electricity production segment. Total consumption recorded a negative variation of 4.9%, despite the 7.5% growth in the conventional segment. In the period from January to July, the consumption of natural gas records a year-over-year negative variation of 7.6%, stemming from a 28% reduction in the electricity market, which is caused by the greater availability of renewable sources this year. The conventional segment records a robust 5.3% evolution.