Date: March 23
The Spanish electricity demand experienced, in February, a decrease of 1% with respect to the same month of the previous year. In gross terms, a demand of 20,447 GWh is estimated, 1.4% higher than that of February 2022. During that month, renewable production has been 20.5% higher than that of the same month of 2022, and has reached the figure of 9,929 GWh, 45.5% of the total mix, a quota that on some days has exceeded 60%.
In the accumulated of the first two months of 2023, Spain has registered a demand of 42,374 GWh, 1.2% less than in the same period of 2022. Again, once the effects of the calendar and temperatures are taken into account, Demand falls by 2.9% compared to 2023.
For its part, as reported by Red Eléctrica, the production of the set of technologies that do not emit CO2 equivalent has represented 67.2% of the total. According to the provisional data available, wind power was the leading energy source for the month, with a production of 4,662 GWh and a share of 21.4% of the total.
For its part, photovoltaic solar, with 2,095 GWh registered in February, increased its production by 23.7% compared to last year, obtaining a participation of 9.6% and consecrating its highest production in a month of February. The total photovoltaic energy produced in the 28 days of this month is the highest in the last five months (September 2022). Hydraulics, whose participation in February was 11.7% of the total, has increased this month by 117.4% compared to the same month in 2022, reaching 2,555 GWh.
At the peninsular level and once the effects of working hours and temperatures have been taken into account, the demand has been 1.2% lower than in February 2022. In gross terms, the demand has been 19,315 GWh, 1.2 % higher than the same month of the previous year.
In the first two months of the year, demand on the peninsula was 40,040 GWh, 1.4% less than that registered in 2022. Once the effects of working hours and temperatures are taken into account, demand fell by 3.2 %.
The group of peninsular renewables generated 47.3% of the total in February, according to the provisional data available today, which show a production of 9,831 GWh, 21.3% more than in the same month of the previous year. In turn, emission-free technologies contributed 70.2% of the total. The peninsular generation structure for February is also led by wind power, which has been responsible for 22.2% of the total with 4,618 GWh produced during this month.
Balearic and Canary Islands
In the Balearic Islands, the demand for electricity in February was 4.5% higher than in the same month of 2022 once the effects of the calendar and temperatures were taken into account. Thus, the gross demand is estimated at 436,962 MWh, 10% higher than that of February of the previous year. In the first two months of 2023, the gross demand of the Balearic Islands is estimated at 887,111 MWh, 2.9% more than in the same period of 2022.
As for generation, the combined cycle, with 74.7% of the energy produced in the Balearic Islands, was the first source of the islands this month. For its part, renewable energy without equivalent CO2 emissions generated in the Balearic Islands represented 9.2% of the total. In addition, the submarine link between the Peninsula and Majorca contributed during this month to cover 20.6% of the Balearic electricity demand.
In the Canary Islands, the demand for electricity grew by 2.1% compared to the same month in 2022, taking into account the effects of labor and weather. In gross terms, the demand was 663,265 MWh, 2.1% more. In the first two months of 2023, the Canary Islands demand is estimated at 1,381,836 MWh, 1.4% more than in the same period of 2022. Regarding electricity generation in the Canary Islands, also the combined cycle, with 44 7% of the total, was the first source in February. Renewables and emission-free technologies reached a share of 10% of production, with wind power contributing 6.6%.
Source: Review Energy
