Renewable energy surpasses April power demand in Austria

Austria was able to cover its domestic electricity demand of 4,141 GWh with renewable energy throughout April on balance as solar, wind and hydropower plants generated 4,801 GWh during the month.

Hydropower produced 3,175 GWh, making up two-thirds of April's renewable energy output, according to data published by transmission system operator Austrian Power Grid (APG).

Wind energy contributed 851 GWh, accounting for 18% of the renewable production, with a 32% rise.

April showcased the impact of the past year's significant expansion of photovoltaic facilities, with PV generating 580 GWh. This amounted to 12% of the renewable energy fed into the grid, more than double the output of April 2023.

Overall, thanks to the strong renewable energy generation, Austria exported 934 GWh in April, a significant increase from the 95 GWh exported in the same month of 2023.

"A high-capacity electricity infrastructure, storage facilities, and digital intelligence within the electricity system are required to take full advantage of the expected growth rates of renewables in the coming years," commented APG's CTO Gerhard Christiner.

Christiner emphasised that the need for re-dispatch on 52 days during the first four months of 2024 highlights existing deficiencies and underscores the urgent necessity for immediate grid infrastructure expansion. Until the end of April, the costs related to redispatch measures amounted to around EUR 19 million (USD 20.62m).

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