Portugal Acquires 70% Of Its Q1 Power Generation From Renewables

There are stories all across CleanTechnica which display the growing rise of renewable energy use across the globe, but then there are these stories which just do my heart the world of good.

According to figures from the nation’s grid operator, Portugal acquires 70% of its power generation for the first quarter of 2013 from renewable energies, consisting mainly of hydroelectric and wind energy.

Algarve Portugal Wind Power Generators Image Credit: Richard Lazzara (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Algarve Portugal Wind Power Generators
Image Credit: Richard Lazzara (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portugal’s grid operator provided the details which get even better when you look further into the specifics.

According to REN, the record percentage of renewables in the country’s energy mix is due primarily to good weather conditions, which allowed hydroelectric generation between January and March to increase 312% compared to the same time last year, supplying 37% of electricity consumption in the first quarter of this year. Wind energy generation saw a more modest increase of only 60%, but still managed to supply a sizeable 27% of consumption.

On top of that, coal-fired and natural gas power stations saw their generation drop by 29% and 44% during the first quarter, respectively, compared to 2012’s first quarter.

Data available on the Wind Power database shows that Portugal currently has 263 wind farms installed throughout the country of varying sizes, generating 4,525 MW of electricity capacity.

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