PV covered 1.6% of Portugal’s power production in 2017

All of the grid-connected PV systems installed in Portugal were able to cover around 1.7% of the country’s power production in 2017, according to recent statistics released by the Portuguese grid and gas network operator, Redes Energéticas Nacionais, SGPS, S.A. (REN).

Overall, renewable energies generated enough electricity to cover 40% of power generation, including domestic demand and export.

Hydropower accounted for 11% of total demand, while wind comprised the lion's share of renewables, accounting for 23%. Biomass was the third source at 5%, while natural gas and coal were still able to cover 60% of last year's demand, with a share of 34% and 26%, respectively.

In related news, the Portuguese Directorate General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) has reported that, at the end of October 2017, the country’s registered PV capacity had reached 478 MW. Of this, only around 300 MW are currently connected to the grid, according to local financial newspaper, Expresso.

Meanwhile, in the first 10 months of 2017, just 11 MW of new PV systems were registered in Portugal. In 2016, the newly registered PV power was 16 MW.

Total registered renewable energy generation capacity reached 13.6 GW at the end of October. Hydropower comprises the largest share with around 7 GW, followed by wind at 5.3 GW, and biomass at 564 MW.

The Portuguese government is currently planning a new solar plan aimed at supporting large-scale projects without direct incentives.

The new scheme, dubbed Plano Nacional Solar, is expected to identify Portugal’s more suitable areas for the development of utility-scale solar facilities and to support the creation of “a remuneration scheme based on market prices, and without subsidies paid by consumers, through the national electric system.”

More details on how this program will be implemented, however, still remain unknown.