24/11/2023
Portugal has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in sustainable energy, shattering its own records by relying solely on renewable sources for six consecutive days.
From 31st October to 6th November, the country powered homes, workplaces, and industries entirely using wind, hydro, and solar energy.
During this period, renewable sources, predominantly wind and solar power, outpaced both industrial and household energy needs for an impressive 149 consecutive hours. The energy generated, totalling 1,102 GW, exceeded national consumption by 262 GW.
Two significant milestones marked this achievement. The first was a span of 131 hours, from 31st October to 6th November, where renewable energy surpassed the country's electric system requirements without resorting to thermal power generation, effectively tripling the previous record set in 2021.
The second milestone, between 1st November and 5th November, lasted 95 hours. During this time, Portugal not only exceeded its energy consumption through renewables but also exported electricity to Spain, breaking the previous record set in 2018.
“The wind was blowing; it was raining a lot. We were producing with a positive impact to the consumers because the prices have dropped dramatically, almost to zero,” Hugo Costa of EDP Renewables emphasised.
This feat aligns with the global push to achieve the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement by 2050. Miguel Prado, an energy sector expert covering Portugal for Expresso, praised Portugal's grid readiness for high shares of renewable electricity. He stressed, “The key conclusion is that it shows that the Portuguese grid is prepared for very high shares of renewable electricity and for its expected variation.”
What do you make of this? Should Malta take up on this?
