Portugal Adds 546MW Of Solar in H1
Sep 06, 2022
Portugal's cumulative PV capacity reached 2.19 GW in June, outpacing growth in other energy sources.
According to provisional data released by the Portuguese General Directorate of Energy and Geology (DGEG), some 546 MW of new PV systems were added in Portugal in the first half of the year.
A spokesperson for the Portuguese Association of Renewable Energy Sources (APREN) told PV magazine that of the 546 MW added, 225 MW came from utility-scale solar projects and the remaining 321 MW from self-generation facilities in the domestic and commercial and industrial sectors.
With a total of around 570 MW of new solar capacity to be installed nationwide in 2021, it is clear that the first half of this year alone will see almost as much new solar as will be added in the whole of 2021.
Figures released in February had indicated 701 MW of new solar capacity for 2021, but these have since been updated, with 151 MW and 252 MW of new capacity to be installed in 2020 and 2019 respectively.
Portugal's cumulative installed PV capacity had reached 2.19 GW by the end of June. solar is the technology type with the largest relative growth in installed capacity, rising from 299 MW in 2013 to 2192 MW in 2022, an increase of 633%.
Portugal's 2030 National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) sets a target of 6.6 GW of total PV capacity by 2025 and 9 GW by 2030. according to DGEG, around 3.45 GW of solar projects are currently licensed for production, but not yet for operation. an APREN spokesperson said: "Considering Given the current rate of development of PV plant installations, it will only be possible to reach the 9 GW target by 2030 if the difficulties inherent in the permitting process are overcome."
Overall, Portugal currently has around 16 GW of renewable energy capacity in operation, dominated by 7.35 GW of hydro and 5.64 GW of wind. While hydropower remains the country's largest source of renewable energy in absolute terms, its annual generation declined by 38% between June 2021 and June 2022, while annual solar production increased by 27% over the same period.
According to APREN, solar power generation reached an all-time high in July, accounting for 9% of the country's total electricity production, and it also broke previous records in June and May, with solar power accounting for 8.6% and 8.2% of total electricity production respectively
