Renewable energy sources contributed 61% of Portugal’s electricity in 2023, marking a significant increase from the previous year’s 49%, as reported by grid operator REN on Tuesday.
This achievement, reaching a new record, can be attributed to periods of abundant rainfall, strong winds, and ample sunshine.
Portugal has set an ambitious goal of generating 85% of its annual electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Notably, the country already boasts one of the highest ratios of renewable energy in Europe.
Across European nations, there is a growing emphasis on renewable energy, particularly in the wake of record-high gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a significant gas supplier to Europe.
In the preceding year, wind energy constituted 25% of total electricity consumption in the southern European nation, with hydropower accounting for 23%, solar contributing 7%, and biomass making up 6%, according to information from REN.
In the realm of natural gas, consumption witnessed a 21% decrease from 2022, with 95% of the volumes entering the country through the deepwater port of Sines, while the remaining 5% came from the interconnection with neighboring Spain.
At the recent COP28 climate summit in Dubai, over 100 countries pledged to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
However, they are anticipated to encounter various challenges, ranging from a shortage of labor to the high costs associated with implementing such projects.