In contrast to in lots of different European nations, “customers in Portugal virtually didn’t discover” the power disaster triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, due to a excessive share of renewable power within the system and controlled tariffs, a high-ranking authorities official mentioned.
Renewable technology equipped 61% of the electrical energy consumption in Portugal in 2023, in line with grid operator REN, led by wind and hydropower.
“In the course of the previous disaster from the Ukraine warfare when costs of fuel went by the roof, we noticed electrical energy costs rising in Portugal for households [by only] 1% to three%,” Jeronimo Meira da Cunha, basic director of the power and geology division (DGEG), a unit of Portugal’s setting ministry, mentioned at a panel in the course of the WindEurope convention in Bilbao final week.
“The mixture of a excessive share of renewables and regulation allowed us to mitigate the spike in costs. Customers in Portugal virtually didn’t discover in comparison with different nations within the EU, the place costs elevated 20, 30, or 40%.
“Renewables are the answer for future crises. Renewables mixed with steady regulation.”
Whereas power costs in Portugal – and to a lesser extent additionally in Spain – didn’t budge a lot, each costs for fuel and electrical energy spiked in central and jap Europe after Russia throttled its fuel deliveries, resulting in a busy exercise within the development of LNG terminals (in Germany), in addition to billions in subsidies to energy customers and fuel importing corporations (Uniper). Even these efforts weren’t sufficient to keep away from a recession in Europe’s largest financial system, whereas Portugal noticed its GDP increase greater than 2% in 2023.
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Da Cunha mentioned Portugal’s regulated tariff (together with reductions for many weak customers) was additionally a plus, and identified that some regulated tariffs that had been deserted by different European nations are being revived now.
“This mix will assist us for positive, and Portugal will attain round 85 to 90% renewable power by 2030. By that point, we will probably be extra protected to cope with this disaster and assist weak customers.”
Portugal additionally operates an LNG fuel terminal at Sines, and receives pure fuel from Algeria by way of a pipeline to Spain – which made it much less uncovered to the top of piped fuel deliveries from Russia than central European nations. Because of a milder local weather, heating wants in Spain and Portugal are additionally diminished.
Da Cunha spoke simply as, following latest elections, the chief of a centre-right coalition has been invited to type a minority authorities, which might be much less enthusiastic in regards to the nation’s inexperienced energy enlargement than its socialist predecessor administration.
