In the year under review, the European Union strengthened the legislative framework with strategic measures to guarantee access to affordable energy, promote the diversification of renewable sources and accelerate the decarbonisation of the economy, while consolidating energy independence and the commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. Among the main EU legislative developments, we highlight Regulation EU 2024/1252, which aims to improve the security of supply of critical raw materials for the development of strategic technologies for European economic development, on the other hand, the reform of the European electricity market, through Regulation EU 2024/1735, which introduced mechanisms to guarantee competitive energy prices, while reinforcing consumer protection against volatility and incentives for the development, construction and operation of renewable electricity production centres and storage systems. In Portugal, simplification measures for renewable projects were extended, auctions for renewable gases were launched and the NECP 2030 was updated, expanding targets for emissions, renewable energies and installed capacity. 

This edition of the APREN yearbook, in line with previous editions, presents a comprehensive analysis of the main generation and productivity data and indicators for the renewable electricity sector, including environmental and macroeconomic impact assessments. In addition, it highlights the most relevant legislative and regulatory updates, as well as the complete portfolio of our Members. The publication also includes a section dedicated to projects in the development phase, with a focus on connection power and to be installed by technology, highlighting our Members' contribution to the energy transition. 

In 2024, APREN had a total of 205 Members, divided into the categories of Producers (82 Members) and Services and industry (121 Members). In terms of national representation, APREN represents 89% of the renewable electricity production sector in Portugal, which translates into 100% share of the installed large hydro capacity, 98% share of installed wind power, 91% of small hydro, 59% of solar photovoltaic (considering projects above 1 MW), 47% of biomass and 100% of geothermal. 

The 2025 Yearbook shows 11 biomass power plants (387 MW), 247 wind farms (5 819 MW), 49 large hydro power plants (7,860 MW), 94 of small hydro (376 MW), 109 solar photovoltaic (2,455 MW), 3 geothermal power plants (33 MW), one wave power plant (1,2 MW) and one storage facility (320 kW). These figures correspond to a total of 514 renewable power plants with a capacity of 16 931 MW. 

In accordance with the standardisation established by Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, the national final consumption of electricity from renewable sources in 2024 reached 66.1% of total production plus imports. In terms of productivity, there was an increase in wind power production compared to the previous year, with a wind power index of 1.06. Building on the momentum of the previous year, hydroelectric production was quite appreciable, reaching a hydraulicity coefficient of 1.16. In addition, the solar producibility index reached 0.94. 

Electricity production data from renewable sources indicate a contribution of 14.6 TWh from hydro plus 3.8 TWh from pumping, 14.4 TWh from wind, 3.2 TWh from bioenergy, 0.16 TWh from geothermal and 4.9 TWh from photovoltaics to which must be added 2.9 TWh generated from self-consumption. Regarding fossil fuel electricity generation plants, natural gas stood out negatively with 3.4 TWh, fossil cogeneration plants contributed 1.7 TWh and fuel and diesel plants 0.97 TWh. 

In addition, the country's renewable electricity generation system supplied 71.5% of total electricity consumption. This share of electricity consumption was due to a year of high hydro and wind productivity, as the hydro and wind indexes presented above show, thus coming close to the 93% target set by the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 (NECP 2030). Over the period, 1,867 non-consecutive hours were recorded in which consumption was entirely fuelled by renewable energy. This performance, combined with the reduction in electricity generation from fossil sources, resulted in 1.82 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, representing a total reduction of 1.78 million tonnes compared to the previous year. 

In 2024, the average daily hourly price of electricity on the Iberian Electricity Market (MIBEL) in Portugal was 63.5 €/MWh, representing a decrease of 36% on the previous year. This decrease, the result of the greater incorporation of renewable energy sources into the national mix, highlights the essential role of this sector in mitigating sharp rises in electricity prices, acting as a protection mechanism, or even price insurance, for consumers. At the same time, electricity production under guaranteed remuneration schemes has continued to provide significant economic benefits to the National Electricity System (SEN), generating surpluses that translate into savings for all consumers. These factors emphasise the positive effects of renewable energies on society, the competitiveness of the economy and the environment: 

  •  Savings in natural gas imports of €1,942 million, corresponding to a reduction of 0.41% compared to the figure for 2023; 
  • 11.4 Mt of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided;  
  • 683 M€ of CO2 emission licence purchases avoided; 
  • 411 M€ saved on imported electricity; 
  • An accumulated saving of 8,844 M€ induced by the effect of the Order of Merit for renewables in the Iberian market. 

If we briefly analyse the previous points, we see an increase of 17.5% in CO2 equivalent emissions avoided, explained by a reduction of 11 percentage points (p.p.) of electricity production through fossil plants, and on the other hand, the 9% reduction in savings on CO2 licences comes from the reduction in the average price of emission licences compared to 2023. 

Regarding electricity consumption, there was a slight increase in electricity consumption of 5.5% (52,484 GWh in 2023 to 55,383 GWh in 2024), which seems to be associated with an increase in the electrification of energy consumption. There was an increase in renewable incorporation in terms of electricity production, highlighted by the resumption of the positive contribution of hydroelectric technology, given the increase in rainfall in Portugal over the last quarter of 2023 and during the first half of 2024. 

Looking in more detail at the legislative advances at European level, we begin by highlighting Regulation (EU) 2024/1252  whose aim is to ensure the stable and secure supply of critical raw materials needed to develop strategic technologies that are fundamental to the European Union's digital and energy transformation. This regulation establishes not only rules to improve the exploitation, trade and management of materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are extremely necessary for the production of batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy sources and semiconductors, but also guidelines for diversifying sources of supply and increasing the resilience of the supply chain for these critical materials, while promoting sustainable practices for the extraction and processing of these resources, in line with EU environmental principles.   

In addition, Regulation (EU) 2024/1735  of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2024 should be mentioned, establishing a framework of measures to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem for zero-emission technologies in Europe by amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724. More commonly referred to as the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), it aims to provide the European Union with access to a secure and sustainable supply of zero-emission technologies, expanding the production capacity of these technologies and their supply chains, contributing to the economic resilience of this sector. The measures envisaged include reducing the risk of supply disruptions in the value chains of zero-emission technologies, creating a European market for CO2 services, encouraging demand for sustainable and resilient technologies through public procurement procedures and other public intervention mechanisms, strengthening skills through specialised support, fostering innovation by creating regulatory sandboxes and improving the Union's capacity to monitor and mitigate risks associated with these technologies. 

In addition, it is important to emphasise Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, which establishes a legal framework for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen in the European Union. The aim of this regulation is to integrate these gases efficiently and sustainably into the European energy system, thereby contributing to decarbonisation and strengthening security of supply. To this end, the regulation defines non-discriminatory rules for access to the natural gas and hydrogen networks, ensuring the proper functioning of the internal markets and contributing to their flexibility. It also facilitates the development of transparent and efficient markets, guaranteeing a high level of security of energy supply, and harmonises the network access rules applicable to cross-border trade in these resources. 

We cannot fail to mention Regulation (EU) 2024/1747, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943, to improve the configuration of the European Union's electricity market. The main objective of this regulation is to ensure affordable and competitive electricity prices for all consumers, both domestic and industrial, within the Union. To this end, it promotes the stabilisation of the electricity market and long-term prices through the creation of state support conditions for consumers to enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) and encourages financial investments in low-carbon electricity production facilities through direct support schemes in the form of two-way contracts for differences (CFDs) or equivalent schemes. In addition, the regulation also introduces products aimed at reducing peak consumption and supports non-fossil fuel flexibility through payments for available capacity. It also adapts the intraday markets to facilitate the participation of renewable technologies and accelerates the deployment of renewable energy infrastructures, with the aim of meeting the European Union's climate neutrality objective by 2050. 

Turning to the national scene, in the year under review Portugal implemented several pieces of legislation in the field of energy transition and climate action. Firstly, we would like to highlight the approval of the revision of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) 2030,  which establishes more ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gases by 2023, setting a reduction of 55%, while at the same time reinforcing the commitment to renewable energy sources, with the prospect of a 93% share of renewables in final electricity consumption and an installed renewable capacity of 43.5 GW. In this context, it is important to emphasise the objectives for solar energy, with a projected capacity of 20.8 GW, for offshore wind energy, with 2 GW and onshore with 10.6 GW, and for battery storage, also set at 2 GW. 

It is important to highlight Decree-Law no. 22/2024, extending the exceptional measures to simplify procedures for producing electricity from renewable sources. This law makes the third amendment to Decree-Law 30-A/2022 of 18 April, which approved exceptional measures to simplify procedures for producing electricity from renewable sources. The following is a reference to Decree-Law 122/2024, which creates the Agência para o Clima, I.P. (Climate Agency), with the aim of ensuring more effective implementation of climate policies, including planning, monitoring and accountability. This agency aims to speed up licensing processes and simplify procedures, guaranteeing transparency and efficiency in evaluations and public tenders. 

Finally, Decree-Law no. 99/2024 and Decree-Law no. 116/2024 are worth noting. The first introduces significant changes to the regulatory framework for renewable energies in Portugal, with the aim of speeding up the energy transition and meeting national and European climate targets. It establishes maximum deadlines for licensing and prior control procedures for renewable energy projects, including two years for production and exploitation licences (three years for offshore projects) and reduced deadlines for prior registrations and retrofits. It also introduces a complete legal regime for energy storage solutions, allowing hybridisation with existing plants and prior checks on storage capacity. The second introduces significant changes to the regulatory framework for renewable energies in Portugal, with the aim of speeding up the energy transition and meeting national and European climate targets. 

All these advances in national legislation were achieved thanks to the spirit of collaboration and co-operation with all the entities involved in running this sector, with special emphasis on: the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Economy and the Sea, the Ministry of Infrastructure and its respective Secretariats of State, DGEG, APA, REN, E-Redes, SU Universal, ERSE, ENSE, the CCDRs, ICNF, LNEG, DGPC, ARSs and the Town Halls. However, I must thank all these players for the close interaction they have had with APREN and say that the Association's door will always be open to all of them to continue the dialogue and open debate towards decarbonisation. 

I'll conclude on a personal note. I am proud to have witnessed the Association's continuous evolution, reflected in the increase in the number of Members and the consolidation of its organisational structure. I am deeply grateful to all the staff for their commitment and dedication, which have been fundamental to the realisation of the objectives and results achieved. Throughout my sixth year in office, this trajectory has reinforced my conviction about the growing and unavoidable importance of the renewable electricity sector in Portugal and Europe, because: 

Portugal needs our energy

"In 2024, APREN had a total of 205 Members, divided into the categories of Producers, Services and industry."
"In accordance with the standardisation established by Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, the national final consumption of electricity from renewable sources in 2024 reached 66.1% of total production plus imports."
"There was an increase in renewable incorporation in terms of electricity production, highlighted by the resumption of the positive contribution of hydroelectric technology, given the increase in rainfall in Portugal over the last quarter of 2023 and during the first half of 2024."
"However, I must thank all these players for the close interaction they have had with APREN and say that the Association's door will always be open to all of them to continue the dialogue and open debate towards decarbonisation."