Continuing with the previous article,
I considered it important to understand how the Portuguese electricity sector
works. As we all know, it is interconnected with the Spanish electricity system
and also suffered the blackout on April 28th. The energy industry also needed
time to provide electricity to the country, and its government is working
together with the Spanish government to investigate the causes of the outage
and prepare for possible future scenarios. In that sense, I wanted to
investigate a little about the structure of the electricity sector in this
country before continuing with my next article. I incorporated some aspects of
the current energy policy outlined in the national energy plan (PNEC 2030), as
well as addressed some aspects of nuclear development, which has been
completely ruled out in this country for several decades. Finally, I put fossil
fuels into context, which, while not part of the electricity mix , are
essential to the national energy matrix.
About the Portuguese electricity
sector
Regarding Portugal, it is worth noting that 20% of the
electricity supplied in Portugal comes from Spain [1]. The existing
interconnection between the two countries' electrical systems left Portugal
without electricity, given that once the failure in the Spanish electrical
system began, generating frequency and voltage disturbances, it eventually
affected the Portuguese system. As in Spain, the capacity of other energy
sources to quickly meet the electricity supply is limited.
Currently, the Portuguese power mix is dominated by
renewable energy generation. According to data from Energía Estratégica España,
81% of electricity generation came from renewable sources in February 2025 [2].
A year ago, the numbers were similar: during the first months of 2024, between
80 and 90% of electricity generation came from renewable sources [3] and the
country has been distinguished for that.
The average for the year 2024 showed that the local
market was supplied 70% by electricity from renewable sources, 20% by
electricity imported from Spain and 10% by electricity generated from natural
gas. [1]
In Portugal, coal-fired power has been phased out,
liquid fuel-fired power plants are limited and residual, used only in
emergencies or backups; and nuclear energy has never been developed in the
country.
Energy plan
In line with European regional policy, Portugal
pursues a policy of promoting renewable energy to the detriment of fossil
fuels. The National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC 2030) is the energy policy
instrument for the period 2021 to 2030, and was reviewed and updated by the end
of 2024 [4].
Regarding the adjustment of the 2030 goals
incorporated in the Plan, it is striking that these further commit Portugal to
a green economy: reduction of CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 2005 (+10%),
solar generation capacity of 20.8 GW (+12.4 GW), onshore wind generation
capacity of 10.4 GW (+4.1 GW), offshore wind generation capacity of 2 GW (+1.97
GW) [5]
ADENE figures show the downward trend in CO2 emissions
in Portugal in recent years. From a peak of nearly 90 MtCO2eq recorded in 2005,
emissions fell below 60 MtCO2eq in 2002. [5]
Special review on the nuclear issue
in Portugal
Despite the awakening of the nuclear issue in Europe,
Portugal lacks nuclear reactors, and they are even ruled out in its energy
plan, PNEC 2030. According to some sources consulted, it is striking that
nuclear energy is considered something of a taboo subject in Portuguese
society, in the political sphere, and within its energy industry.
The country had a Portuguese Research Reactor, which
was operational for more than 40 years, was closed in 2006 and dismantled in 2019 [6]. Research
reactors are small reactors with a generation capacity of 1 MW, used for
scientific studies at the atomic and microscopic level, which have served
chemistry, medicine, biology, agriculture, criminology and geochronology, as
explained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [7].
The IAEA published a bulletin in 2019 dedicated to the
topic of research reactors. These reactors emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, with
the aim of supporting scientific work. The report indicated that, at that time,
more than 800 reactors had been built worldwide, of which 224 remained
operational in 53 countries. The rest were already decommissioned, and it added
some new projects.
Returning to the topic of Portugal, going back a bit
into history, the country had plans to build a nuclear power plant in the town
of Peniche, on the Atlantic coast. However, with the Carnation Revolution of
1974, which overthrew the dictatorship that had ruled the country since 1926,
new political movements and Portuguese society stood up to nuclear development,
setting a precedent that apparently marks Portuguese energy policy to this day.
For example, in 2021, the Portuguese government issued a declaration excluding
nuclear energy from European funding, as it was not considered a priority [6].
Likewise, in 2016, incidents at the Spanish nuclear
power plant Almaraz (close to the border) prompted the Portuguese government to
consult with Spain on the safety of its operations [8]. Subsequently, in 2024,
authorities from both countries held talks regarding the risk that the
expansion of the storage facilities for nuclear waste at the Almaraz plant
could pose to Portugal.[9]
More recently, after the April 28 blackout, Portuguese
energy minister Maria Graça Carvalho pointed out that nuclear energy
development remains off the energy agenda, considering it to be an expensive
energy that requires a safety and training structure that is not provided for
in national plans. [10]
The press reports various anecdotes regarding the
country's resistance and distrust of the incorporation of nuclear power plants.
However, beyond historical and cultural considerations, the country has
prioritized the development of renewable energy. Portugal has attractive
potential in hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy, as the data above
demonstrates, leading local authorities to deem the significant investment
required for a nuclear plant unnecessary.
In any case, renewable energy sources for electricity
generation in the country are complemented by imported energy, either with
liquefied natural gas received at the Sines regasification plant , or with
electricity purchased directly from Spain, thus supplying the entire national
market.
What is happening with fossil fuels
in Portugal?
Fossil energy accounts for 64% of the country's total
primary energy consumption, with 47% being petroleum and 17% being natural gas.
The remaining primary consumption is complemented by renewable energy at 24%
and hydroelectric power at 12% [11].
In this regard, the following are noteworthy: first,
most of the country's energy consumption is imported; second, fossil fuel
consumption predominates. Oil and natural gas consumption is trending downward
slightly; however, they remain an essential part of Portugal's energy mix.
As for coal, it was produced locally for electricity
generation, however, with the closure of the last plant in 2021 [12], this
market ceased. Portugal joined countries such as Austria, Belgium and Sweden,
which, at that time, had already stopped generating electricity from coal [13].
To resume, the oil imported by Portugal is primarily
used for transportation and as input for the petrochemical industry. Portugal
has two refineries operated by Galp Energia, one located in the Port of Sines
and the other in the Port of Matosinhos. Petrochemical activities are carried
out at the industrial complex in the Port of Sines. Natural gas is used for
electricity generation, heating, and industrial purposes.
In short, this brief review provides a context for the
Portuguese energy sector, and more specifically, the power sector. As was the
case in Spain on the day of the blackout, electricity generation largely came
from renewable sources, and there is a debate about whether dependence on
renewable energy threatens security of supply, or whether it is appropriate to
eliminate or reduce alternative energy sources that complement the energy mix .
Certainly, while Portugal's work in the local
development of renewable energy for electricity generation has been important,
as has the drive for energy policy in this regard, when we broaden our vision,
the weight of fossil fuels within the energy mix is significant and, therefore,
in the country's productive activities. This is in line with the European
energy mix and highlights the importance of discussing expectations and the
reality of the decarbonization and fossil fuel elimination goals, which have so
much political momentum in the region.
Sources:
[2] https://energiaestrategica.es/los-contratos-ppa-estan-transformando-el-sector-renovable-en-portugal/
[3] https://elperiodicodelaenergia.com/cuota-media-energias-renovables-portugal-fue-95-abril-90-ano/
[5] https://www.observatoriodaenergia.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Energia_em_numeros_2024.pdf
[6] https://somosinnovacion.global/el-renacimiento-nuclear-que-europa-esta-experimentando-sin-portugal/
[7] https://www.iaea.org/bulletin/research-reactors/uses-of-research-reactors
[11] Statistical Review of World Energy 2024,
Energy Institute.
[13] https://es.euronews.com/2021/11/22/portugal-clima-carbon
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