INSTALLED CAPACITY OF THE DIFFERENT ELECTRICITY GENERATION SOURCES IN PORTUGAL (2000-2023)
The Portuguese electricity system fleet has undergone a
paradigm shift regarding integration of new supply sources
in the last two decades. As of 2005, there was a gradual
increase in the installed renewable capacity, being the
renewable generation assets three times larger today
when compared to that year, a fact that contributed to
the increase in the total electricity generation capacity of
76.6%, compared to 2005. Conversely, the fossil fuel capacity
has been decreasing since 2011, a trend that became more
evident in 2021 with the deactivation of the Sines and Pego
coal power plants.
SOURCE: DGEG, APREN analysis
ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN MAINLAND PORTUGAL BETWEEN (1970-2023)
The increased use of Portuguese endogenous and renewable
energy sources as means to produce electricity has changed
the composition of the electricity generation mix in Portugal
and has, consecutively, played an increasingly determinant
role in the satisfaction of demand. The graph shows that
from 2005 onwards renewables began to gradually assume
an important share of generation, especially with the growth
of wind generation. Also noteworthy is the growth that
solar energy has shown since 2019, having quadrupled its
installed capacity.
SOURCE: DGEG, APREN analysis
SHARE OF THE DIFFERENT ENERGY SOURCES IN THE PORTUGUESE ELECTRICITY GENERATION MIX (2000-2023)
The increase in renewable incorporation in electricity
generation has led to a reduction in the use of technologies
based on fossil fuels, having achieved 70.6% in 2023.
SOURCE: REN, EDA, EEM, APREN analysis
NOTE: This percentage value is referred to the total national electricity generation
ENERGY DEPENDENCY RATE (1995-2023)
The increase in renewable electricity generation made it
possible to reduce the country’s energy dependence in
the first two decades of the 21st century. In short, energy
dependence has fallen by 18 per cent since 2000. However,
a stagnation trend can be observed between 2015 and 2019,
as in opposition 2020 and 2021, which were years marked by
the pandemic crisis, reversing again in 2022 because of the
extreme drought that affected hydroelectric productivity.
Nonetheless, by 2023 it is estimated that energy dependency
will once again fall to 68.4%.*
SOURCE: DGEG, 2023, APREN analysis
Energy dependence for 2023 (estimated) calculated through linear regression recurring to historical data published by DGEG.
AVOIDED COSTS WITH FOSSIL FUEL
IMPORTS (2013-2023)
The renewable electricity is a determinant factor to the
reduction on fossil fuel import trade balance and to the
decrease of external energy dependency. The avoided costs
sum up to 16.6 billion euros since 2014.
SOURCE: DGEG, WORLDBANK, ERSE, REN, EDA, EEM, APREN’S analysis
CONTRIBUTION OF RES-E TO THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION (2014-2023)
The renewable electricity avoided, at the national level,
the emission of 120 megatonnes of CO2-eq between 2014
and 2023, which is equivalent to around 76.4% of the CO2
emissions from the road transport sector for the same
period. The value for the avoided CO2 emission allowances
was estimated at 780 million euros in 2023.
SOURCE: SendCO2, DGEG, Worldbank, ERSE, REN, EDA, EEM, APREN’s analysis
EMPLOYMENT CREATED BY THE RENEWABLE
ELECTRICITY SECTOR (2014-2023)
The investment on the renewable sector contributed
significantly to the creation of specialized jobs (direct and
indirect) and to territorial cohesion. It is estimated that, at
the end of the year 2023, the renewable sector employed
more than 66 thousand people.
SOURCE: Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity, Deloitte, 2021 (2014-2019); Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity on Consumer Prices in 2021, Deloitte 2022; Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity 2023; APREN analysis
CONTRIBUTION OF THE RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY
SECTOR TO THE GDP (2014-2023)
The incorporation of renewable sources in the electricity
generation accounted for 2.1% of the national GDP in
2023. The technology that contributed the most was wind
power, given the existing a value chain that aggregates
the industrial components production and a set of R&D and
services activities.
SOURCE: Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity, Deloitte, 2021 (2014-2019); Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity on Consumer Prices in 2021, Deloitte 2022; Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity 2023; APREN analysis
CONTRIBUTION OF THE RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY SECTOR TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY, CORPORATE INCOME TAX, MUNICIPAL SURTAX, PERSONAL INCOME TAX AND VALUE ADDED TAX
It is estimated that the incorporation of renewable sources
for the electricity generation has contributed, in the last six
years, with 4,071 million euros for Social Security, 1,870
million euros for the Corporate Income Tax, 121 million
euros for the Municipal Surtax, 3,414 million euros for the
Personal Income Tax and 3,370 million euros for VAT.
SOURCE: Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity, Deloitte, 2021 (2014-2019); Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity on Consumer Prices in 2021, Deloitte 2022; Study on the Impact of Renewable Electricity 2023, Deloitte; APREN analysis