Spain's renewables share shoots up to 65.2% in March

The San Esteban hydropower plant in Galicia. Source: Iberdrola

The share of renewable and clean energy in Spain’s total electricity production reached a record 65.2% in March on the highest renewables output since records began, Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE) said in its provisional monthly report on Tuesday.

In February, Spain's renewables share was around 59.6%.

Renewables, including large hydro, generated 14,591 GWh in March, enjoying their highest ever monthly contribution. This represented a 15.6% increase compared to the previous year, REE said.

The top power generators in the Spanish system for six months in a row, wind farms accounted for 27.1% of the mix. Wind power production reached 6,061 GWh in March, dropping by 9.5% on the year.

It was the boost in the hydro power output, up 141.6% year-on-year, that contributed the most to Spain’s soaring renewables share in March, according to REE’s data.

Hydro made up 22% of the monthly power mix, while solar photovoltaic had a share of 13.6%.

REE’s provisional figures for renewables and selected non-renewable energy technologies follow in the table below:

Technology:	Estimated generation in GWh:	year-on-year change:	Share in March:	Share in January-March:
Wind	6,061	-9.5%	27.1%	27.6%
Hydro	4,937	141.6%	22%	17.4%
Solar PV	3,047	-1.5%	13.6%	11%
Solar CSP	177	-56.9%	0.8%	0.7%
Renewable waste	56	-21.9%	0.3%	0.3%
Other renewables	311	1.1%	1.4%	1.3%
Nuclear	3,486	-31.7%	15.6%	19.4%
Cogeneration	1,207	-30.3%	5.4%	6.3%
Combined-cycle gas	2,060	-33.8%	9.2%	11.1%
Coal	211	-50.2%	0.9%	1%

Spain’s gross demand for electricity was estimated at 20,413 GWh in March, down by 0.3% year-on-year. When taking temperature and working hours into account, national electricity demand in Spain increased by 1.9% compared to the same month last year.

For the first quarter of 2024, overall demand was 62,484 GWh, marking a decline of 0.6% year-on-year.

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