“In October, conditions were particularly unfavorable for renewable energy production,” the company noted, specifying that the hydroelectric component recorded an index of 0.64, wind power 0.82, and solar 0.93.
According to REN, in October, renewable production “accounted for the lowest share since September 2023, yet it still supplied 50.2% of consumption,” while non-renewable production supplied 18% and the remaining 32% was imported energy.
Data released today indicates that electricity consumption continues to grow in Portugal, having increased by 2.5% from January to October compared to the same period in 2024 (2% when adjusted for temperature and working days) and 1.1% this past month (1.7% when adjusted for temperature and working days) compared to October 2024.
In the natural gas market, the growth trend also continued, with a year-on-year monthly increase in October of 18%, driven by the electricity production segment, which recorded a positive year-on-year evolution of over 100% this month.
Conversely, the conventional segment, covering other clients, registered a year-on-year decrease of 5.8%.
According to REN, in October alone, natural gas consumption recorded a year-on-year increase of 13%, resulting from a 131% growth in the electricity production segment, which offset a 7.7% decline in the conventional segment.
In the electricity segment, from January to October, the hydroelectric producibility index stood at 1.33, the wind producibility at 1.00, and the solar producibility at 0.89 (historical average of 1).
During this period, renewable production supplied 68% of consumption, slightly below the 72% recorded in the same period of the previous year, divided among hydroelectric at 26%, wind at 24%, photovoltaic at 13%, and biomass at 5%.
REN highlights that photovoltaic production “continues to show high growth, with production 28% higher than in the same period of the previous year.”
Meanwhile, production through natural gas accounted for 15% of consumption, while the remaining 17% corresponded to imported energy.
In October, the national system’s supply was predominantly maintained through the Sines liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, with the interconnection with Spain representing 8%.
In the first 10 months of the year, supply was also primarily from the Sines terminal, with Nigeria and the USA representing 48% and 43% of the national system’s supply, respectively.
