Data from 2023 published today by Pordata, the database of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, highlights various environmental dimensions in Portugal in observance of World Environment Day.
Regarding energy, the report indicates that in 2023, the country produced 7.3 million TEP (Tons of Oil Equivalent) of energy, more than double the production in 1990, which did not exceed 3.3 million.
The increase in energy production—within a European context where overall production is 25% less than in 1990—was primarily driven by renewable energies, which accounted for 98% of the total energy produced, while fossil energy represented only 2%.
Out of the 7.3 million TEP produced in 2023, 4.7 million were exported, a decision that may be more economically advantageous during periods of high production, explains Pordata.
On the other hand, the energy produced in Portugal in 2023 accounts for only one-third of its consumption that year, which was around 22 million TEP—almost double the levels recorded in 1990, yet still below the European average per capita consumption.
About 35% of the energy consumed in 2023 originated from renewable sources.
To offset domestic production, it was necessary to import 19.8 million TEP of energy. Portugal remains above the EU average in terms of energy dependence, registering 67%.
“Although we must import nearly all that we consume for market economy reasons, our energy dependence has been decreasing,” states the Pordata report, noting that at the beginning of the century, energy dependence was around 85%.
The most imported products are oil and derivatives, primarily from Brazil, Spain, and Algeria, while Nigeria is the main source of natural gas, followed by the United States.
Since 2020, coal imports have been “very residual.”
