Renewables supply 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, led by solar

Renewable energy supplied 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, with record production of 36.7 TWh, according to grid operator REN.

REN reported a hydroelectric production index of 1.16, above the historical average of 1, while wind energy and photovoltaics posted annual indices of 1.06 and 0.94, respectively, against a historical average of 1 for both.

Hydroelectric and wind power each contributed 28% and 27% of electricity generation, respectively, with PV providing 10% and biomass 6%. REN noted that solar production grew 37% year on year, driven by rapid capacity expansion.

Non-renewable production, almost entirely from natural gas, fell to 5.1 TWh – the lowest level since 1979.

Portugal’s updated energy plan targets 80% renewable electricity by 2026 and 85% by 2030, with a goal of 20.4 GW of PV capacity by 2030, including 14.9 GW of utility-scale capacity and 5.5 GW of distributed systems.