Renewable energy in Portugal

During February 2016, an equivalent to 95% of electricity consumed in Portugal was produced by renewable sources such as biomass, hydropower, wind power and solar power. A total of 4139 GWh was produced by these sources.{{Cite web |url=http://www.dinheirovivo.pt/economia/barragens-e-eolicas-nao-param-abasteceram-95-do-consumo/ |title=Barragens e eólicas não param. Abasteceram 95% do consumo |date=10 March 2016}} In May 2016, all of Portugal's electricity was produced renewably for a period of over four days, a landmark achievement for a modern European country.{{cite web | last=Neslen | first=Arthur | title=Portugal runs for four days straight on renewable energy alone | website=The Guardian | date=18 May 2016 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/18/portugal-runs-for-four-days-straight-on-renewable-energy-alone | access-date=21 May 2016}}

The renewable energy produced in Portugal fell from 55.5% of the total electricity produced in 2016 to 41.8% in 2017, due to the drought of 2017, which severely affected the production of hydro electricity.{{cite news|last=Martins Carvalho|first=Patrícia|title=Seca está a afetar produção de energia hídrica. Consumo de carvão dispara|url=https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/pais/904378/seca-esta-a-afetar-producao-de-energia-hidrica-consumo-de-carvao-dispara|access-date=16 February 2018|newspaper=Notícias ao Minuto|date=22 November 2017}} The sources of the renewable energy that was produced in Portugal in 2017 were Wind power with 21.6% of the total (up from 20.7% in 2016), Hydro power with 13.3% (down from 28.1% in 2016), Bioenergy with 5.1% (same as in 2016), Solar power with 1.6% (up from 1.4% in 2016), Geothermal energy with 0.4% (up from 0.3% in 2016) and a small amount of Wave power in the Azores. 24% of the energy produced in the Azores is geothermal.{{cite web|title=Produção de energia eléctrica: total e a partir de fontes renováveis|url=https://www.pordata.pt/Portugal/Produ%C3%A7%C3%A3o+de+energia+el%C3%A9ctrica+total+e+a+partir+de+fontes+renov%C3%A1veis-1127|access-date=16 February 2018|publisher=Pordata|date=31 January 2018}}{{cite web|title=Evolution of the Electricity Generation in Mainland Portugal|url=http://www.apren.pt/en/renewable-energies/highlights/|access-date=16 February 2018|publisher=APREN}}{{cite web|title=Produção de Energia Eléctrica (KWh): Produção por Região, Origem da Energia e Ano, Mes (KWh)|url=http://srea.azores.gov.pt/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?%2fRelatoriosVarios%2fEnergia-Produção&rs:Command=Render|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229210637/http://srea.azores.gov.pt/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?%2fRelatoriosVarios%2fEnergia-Produ%c3%a7%c3%a3o&rs:Command=Render|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 December 2017|access-date=16 February 2018|publisher=Serviço Regional de Estatística dos Açores|date=15 February 2018}}{{cite news|title=Fontes fósseis responsáveis por 63,4% da energia elétrica nos Açores|url= https://www.dn.pt/lusa/interior/fontes-fosseis-responsaveis-por-634-da-energia-eletrica-nos-acores-9121046.html|access-date=16 February 2018|newspaper=Diário de Notícias|date=15 February 2018}}{{cite web|title=Electricidade de origem renovável na Madeira correspondeu a 29% da produção|url=http://www.dnoticias.pt/madeira/electricidade-de-origem-renovavel-na-madeira-correspondeu-a-29-da-producao-EI2758152|access-date=16 February 2018|publisher=dnoticias.pt|date=15 February 2018|archive-date=30 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130202004/https://www.dnoticias.pt/madeira/electricidade-de-origem-renovavel-na-madeira-correspondeu-a-29-da-producao-EI2758152|url-status=dead}}

On July 14, 2020, EDP announced it would be closing the country's largest coal-fired power station, in Sines, by January 2021.{{cite news|title=EDP fecha centrais de carvão nos próximos seis meses|url=https://pt.euronews.com/2020/07/14/edp-fecha-centrais-de-carvao-nos-proximos-seis-meses|access-date=26 July 2020|agency=Euro News|issue=Environment}}{{cite news|title=EDP vai fechar central a carvão de Sines em janeiro de 2021|url=https://jornaleconomico.sapo.pt/noticias/edp-vai-fechar-central-a-carvao-de-sines-em-janeiro-de-2021-612952|access-date=26 July 2020|agency=O Jornal Económico|issue=Environment}} In effect, Sines's power plant was closed on 15 January 2021, nearly ten years earlier than initially forecasted. The plant was responsible for 12% of all greenhouse emissions in Portugal, and its closure meant the biggest decrease in polluting emissions in the country's history. The Pego coal plant was the only coal-fired facility functioning until 19 November 2021 when it too was shut down.

It is estimated that around 20,000 jobs will be created until 2030 in the solar-photovoltaic industry alone, with EDP having announced an investment of 24 billion Euros in the renewable industry until 2026, most of which directed at wind, solar and green hydrogen production.{{cite web |author1=TNP/Lusa |title=End of Sines power plant means biggest emissions reduction ever |url=https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2021-01-16/end-of-sines-power-plant-means-biggest-emissions-reduction-ever/57743 |website=The Portugal News |access-date=23 March 2021|language=Portuguese |date=16 January 2021}}{{cite web |author1=Agência Lusa |title=Central de Sines encerra esta sexta-feira, antes do previsto devido a evolução do mercado |url=https://observador.pt/2021/01/15/central-de-sines-encerra-esta-sexta-feira-antes-do-previsto-devido-a-evolucao-do-mercado/ |website=Observador |access-date=23 March 2021 |language=Portuguese |date=15 January 2021}}{{cite web |author1=RTP |title=EDP quer ter 100% de produção renovável em 2030 |url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/economia/edp-quer-ter-100-de-producao-renovavel-em-2030_v1300267 |website=RTP |access-date=23 March 2021 |language=Portuguese |date=25 February 2021}}

File:BarragemLindoso1.jpg

As of 2020, hydroelectricity accounted for 28% of the total amount of electricity produced in Portugal from renewable sources.{{cite web |url=https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/negocios-em-rede/energias-renovaveis/detalhe/20210322-1513-energias-renovaveis-florescem-em-portugal |title=Energias renováveis florescem em Portugal |website=Jornal de Negócios |access-date=23 March 2021 |language=Portuguese |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922053318/https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/negocios-em-rede/energias-renovaveis/detalhe/20210322-1513-energias-renovaveis-florescem-em-portugal |url-status=dead }}

The largest hydroelectric power station is at the Alto Lindoso dam, with a capacity of 630 MW. Portugal has about 100 small hydro systems, with a capacity of 256 MW, which produce 815 GWh/year.[http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/html/energias/hidrica_pt_actualidade.asp :: Portal das Energias Renováveis :: Energia Hídrica ::] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602230404/http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/html/energias/hidrica_pt_actualidade.asp |date=2 June 2007 }}

{{Main|Wind power in Portugal}}

At the end of 2018, wind power capacity in Continental Portugal was 5,368 MW.{{Cite web|url=https://www.apren.pt/en/renewable-energies/power/|title=Evolution of the Installed Capacity of the Different Sources of Electricity Generation in Portugal between 2000 and 2018|website=APREN|access-date=2020-02-03}} In 2020, wind powered energy was responsible for 24% of electricity production.

Portugal combines wind and hydropower by using nighttime winds to pump water uphill and sending the water back through generators to produce power the next day; the so-called Pumped-storage hydroelectricity.{{cite web|last=Rosenthal |first=Elisabeth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/earth/10portugal.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all |title=Portugal Makes the Leap to Renewable Energy |location=Portugal |work=The New York Times |date=9 August 2010 |access-date=12 February 2012}}

File:Paineis solares - Bensafrim, Lagos, Algarve - Portugal - 29.03.2023.jpg

{{Main|Solar power in Portugal}}

At the end of 2018, solar power had a total installed capacity of 828 MW.{{Cite web|url=https://www.apren.pt/en/renewable-energies/power/|title=Evolution of the Installed Capacity of the Different Sources of Electricity Generation in Portugal between 2000 and 2019|website=APREN|access-date=2020-02-02}} It represented 2.2% of total power generation in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.apren.pt/en/renewable-energies/production|title=Electricity Generation by Energy Sources in Mainland Portugal (january to december 2019)|website=APREN|access-date=2020-02-02}}

{{Main|Geothermal power in Portugal}}

Portugal's main investment for the use of this type of energy is in the Azores. Small scale use of this energy source began in the 1980s in Chaves and S. Pedro do Sul, Continental Portugal providing 3 MWt.

In the Azores the use of Geothermal energy is widespread, with production in 8 of the 9 Islands, collectively producing some 235.5 MWt. In 2003, 25% of the electricity consumed in São Miguel was produced by geothermal energy.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070615043956/http://www.energiasrenovaveis.com/html/energias/geo_pt_actualidade.asp]

File:Pelamis machine installed at the Agucadoura Wave Park.JPG

Aguçadoura Wave Farm was the world's first commercial wave farm when it opened on 23 September 2008. It was located three miles (5 km) offshore near Póvoa de Varzim north of Porto. The farm used three Pelamis wave energy converters to convert the motion of the ocean surface waves into electricity.{{cite web|title=23 de Setembro de 2008 |url=http://www.portugal.gov.pt/portal/pt/comunicacao/agenda/20080923.htm |publisher=Government of Portugal |access-date=24 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207035718/http://www.portugal.gov.pt/portal/pt/comunicacao/agenda/20080923.htm |archive-date=7 December 2008 }}{{cite news | title=Making waves: UK firm harnesses power of the sea ... in Portugal | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/sep/25/greentech.alternativeenergy | work=The Guardian | access-date=9 October 2008 | location=London | first=Alok | last=Jha | date=25 September 2008}} The wave farm was shut down in November 2008, just over two months after the official opening.{{cite web|title=Pelamis Sinks Portugal Wave Power|url=http://cleantech.com/news/4276/pelamis-sinks-portugal-wave-power-p|publisher=cleantech.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321113455/http://www.cleantech.com/news/4276/pelamis-sinks-portugal-wave-power-p|archive-date=21 March 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Pelamis Wave Power Jettisons Its CEO, Rough Waters Ahead?|url=http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/pelamis-wave-power-jettisons-its-ceo-rough-waters-ahead|publisher=greentechmedia.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003125522/http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/pelamis-wave-power-jettisons-its-ceo-rough-waters-ahead|archive-date=3 October 2009}}

In the 2010s, a local company, Wave Roller installed many devices along the coast to make use of the water power.{{Cite web|url=https://aw-energy.com/news/portugal-takes-a-step-closer-to-commercial-wave-energy/|title = Portugal takes a step closer to commercial wave energy – AW-Energy Oy| date=31 October 2019 }}

In 2011, Portugal produced 45 ktoe (Kiloton of Oil Equivalent) of biogas.http://www.eurobserv-er.org/pdf/baro212biogasEu.asp{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Portal|Portugal|Renewable energy}}

• List of renewable energy topics by country
• Renewable energy in the European Union
• Energy policy of the European Union
• Renewable energy development
• Renewable energy commercialization

{{reflist|2}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.portal-energia.com/ Renewable Energy in Portugal]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110519133123/http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/doc/factsheets/renewables/renewables_pt_en.pdf Portugal – Renewable energy facts sheet]
• [http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/byC/Portugal/Portugal.shtml Renewable energy businesses in Portugal]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20190821030144/http://www.reegle.info/solar-energy-society-of-portugal.12.1898.htm Solar Energy Society of Portugal]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070710221105/http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=38245 Portugal: Making Up for Lost Time in Renewable Energy]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/dec/02/portugal-wind-power Europe's biggest wind farm switches on]
• [http://e2p.inegi.up.pt e2p – Endogenous energies of Portugal]

{{Renewable energy by country}}