Renewables provided 91% of electricity consumption in March

Renewable energy generation provided 91% of the country’s electricity consumption in March, the third month in a row with values ​​above 80%, REN reported this Monday.

According to data published by Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), renewable energy sources provided 91% of electricity consumption in March, after 88% recorded in February and 81% in January.

In 2023, the electric and gas systems manager recalled, renewable energy accounted for 61% of the country’s electricity consumption, for a total of 31.2 terawatt-hours (TWh), the highest ever in the nation. system.

From January to March, renewables accounted for 89% of consumption, the highest first-quarter figure since 1978, when the national system did not yet have a thermal component.

In the first quarter, the hydropower productivity index was 1.38, the wind productivity index was 1.07, and the solar productivity index was 0.87 (historical average is 1).

Hydropower provided 47% of consumption, wind power 31%, photovoltaics 6% and biomass 5%, and natural gas generation 11% of consumption.

The balance of exchange with foreigners was slightly export-oriented and amounted to about 1% of national consumption.

In March, electricity consumption registered a year-on-year increase of 1.6%, or 2.9% adjusted for the effects of temperature and number of working days, while for the quarter the growth was 1.1%, or 2.6% adjusted . .

In the third month of the year, hydropower production recorded a performance index of 1.78 (historical average of 1) and a new maximum power supplied to the grid of 7,280 megawatts (MW) on the 11th.

The wind productivity index was 1.15, while the solar energy productivity index was 0.86 (historical average of 1), and the monthly exchange balance with foreign countries was export, which occurs for the first time this year, equivalent to approximately 11% of the national consumption.

The natural gas market saw a 5.8% year-on-year decline in consumption in March, led by the power generation segment, which saw a 24% year-on-year decline due to high availability of renewable energy sources. energy.

In the traditional segment, which covers other consumers, consumption was almost consistent with the level of the same month last year (a decrease of 0.1%).

At the end of the first quarter, annual cumulative gas consumption was down 10% year-on-year, representing the lowest level of consumption since 2014, while the power generation segment was down 43% year-over-year. regular ones grew by 5.9%.