Date: December 23
Wind power will exceed 61,000 GWh while photovoltaic is the fourth most productive technology with close to 28,000 GWh
Spain continues to demonstrate its renewable potential. Forecasts indicate that wind and photovoltaic energy could close the year breaking their own generation records. Specifically, the force of the wind is expected to exceed 61,000 GWh, which would mean around 1% more than the figure registered in 2021, according to data from the electrical system operator, Red Eléctrica. For its part, photovoltaics would end 2022 with a production 33% higher than that of the previous year (close to 28,000 GWh).
In this way, photovoltaic panels would be positioned for the first time as the fourth generation mix technology (representing 10%). This is clear from Red Eléctrica’s estimates which, like every year, advances the main magnitudes of the system, based on preliminary data as of December 20.
For Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia, the parent company of Red Eléctrica, “this evolution of wind and photovoltaic energy reinforces Spain’s position as the renewable engine of the European Union. The path of ecological transition is the only possible path to a strong and autonomous ‘electric’ union”.
The data indicates that the total production of electrical energy in Spain could be greater than 276,000 GWh, 6.5% more than in 2021. All in all, greenhouse gas emissions register 44.7 million tCO2 eq and the quota production free of equivalent CO2 emissions is estimated to reach 63.1% of the total.
More than 58% of the power is already renewable
In 2022, the Spanish generating park, according to figures available today, could end the year exceeding 117 GW of installed capacity, 3.8% higher than that registered in 2021. This year, Spain has added 4.6 new GW of renewables, specifically 1.2 GW of wind power and 3.4 GW of photovoltaic power. Photovoltaics is the technology that has increased the most and this year it has already managed to surpass hydraulics, currently ranking third in the ranking of sources with the most power: it already accounts for almost 16%. The renewable generation capacity now amounts to more than 58% of the total park.
In 2022, the presence of polluting technologies has continued to decrease, mainly coal, which this year has reduced its power by 300 MW.
For its part, the demand for electricity from the Spanish electricity system is estimated at more than 250,000 GWh, 2.2% less than in 2021. If the effects of working hours and temperatures are taken into account, the variation in the National electricity demand would be 3.1% lower than that noted in the previous year.
With figures available up to the date of issuance of this note, July 14, 2022 at 2:19 p.m. was the moment in which the maximum demand was registered in the peninsular electrical system, which reached a consumption of 38,284 MW . This is the first time in 5 years that a demand peak has been recorded in summer. In 2021, the peak occurred during the Filomena storm and was 42,225 MW.
With regard to international exchanges of physical energy, this year the Spanish electricity system breaks the import trend of the last six years. Specifically, it is expected to close 2022 with an estimated export balance of more than 20,000 GWh according to scheduled data.
The change in trend would be due to the increase, during 2022, of exports in exchanges, mainly with France and Portugal.
And it is that the crisis of nuclear generation in France has made Spain export much more electricity than in other years.
Source: Energía Estratégica
