Despite the increasing prevalence of renewable energy sources and greater efficiency in consumption, Portugal failed to tackle energy dependency strongly by 2020. Yes, this was another consequence of the epidemic. The collapse in demand reduced the share of imported fuels in the mix to 66%; This rate is still well above the community average of 57.5%. Without extraordinary circumstances such as a historic health crisis that forces the population to stay indoors for weeks and stop all non-essential activities, the National Energy and Climate Plan (PENEC, the equivalent of PNIEC in Spain) aims to reduce energy consumption by the end of the decade, dependency will fall by 65% and the same The first offshore wind power plants are expected to come into operation at the same time.
“The Portuguese Government has publicly undertaken this request. Reaching 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind energy production capacity by 2030“, reminds us of the Portuguese government’s Marine Renewable Energy Allocation Plan (PAER), which was recently presented to the public. The document basically includes areas suitable for the location of offshore facilities, as a preliminary step in the tendering of projects planned to be implemented at the end of this year. There are seven areas along the coast. These 10 GW distributed over the large polygon could “contribute to approximately 32 percent of the electricity generation” of the country and even consider the following scenario: export energy directly from the sea”.
Synergies
“As the Portuguese authorities emphasize, with the realization of this goal, the country will gain significant energy independence and Portugal will be able to accompany the group of countries that will initiate energy independence for the first time in its history. new industrial revolution “This, like the previous ones, imposes an energy transition.”
Portugal’s decarbonization roadmap, Offshore renewable energies and their “social and economic development” synergiesespecially with the metal, electrical and metal-electric industries. Together they lead the country’s exports. They are selling in 200 markets with an international turnover balance of 20,000 million Euros in 2022. “Given the wide range of productive segments covered by metallurgy and electromechanics, it should be noted that it has a large impact on the capacity to stimulate other activities. . ”, underlines Portugal’s Marine Renewable Energy Allocation Plan. Facilitating the implementation of offshore wind farms will also have a full impact on “the development of new professions, training areas, incentives and incentives”. development of new professional courses and degrees”.
The General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services reminds that the epicenter of the metal industry in Portugal is Aveiro, Porto and Viana do Castelo, where some of the locations with the greatest potential for wind farm construction are also designed. Wind Float Atlantic, the first floating park of European interest, is already operating in Viana do Castelo, 50 kilometers south of the Galician border. And there they are thought Two priority areas for future auctions – The 301 square kilometer Viana do Castelo Norte and the 294 square kilometer Viana do Castelo Sur will implement up to 2 GW of floating wind energy.
Although the occupation of the sea surface and its impact on the environment receive almost all the foreground, it is just as important as the plug for parks on the high seas. Where will we discharge all this electricity? This will be a big challenge for the facilities that are finally settled in Galicia and the rest of Spain. Portugal offers some clues about how it wants to do this.
In the case of the Viana do Castelo parks, Portuguese authorities identify the future Fonte de Lima substation and Vila Nova de Famalicão, one of the planned infrastructures for the new electric highway with Galicia, as a possible connection point. Strengthening the lines on both sides of the Miño will pave the way for the deployment of offshore wind energy. Portugal evaluates “possibility of connection to the electricity grid” running towards the neighboring community. It opens the door for Galicia to become a net electricity exporter, the exact opposite of what it is now. In 2022, around 4,200 GWh (a third of everything Spain exports) will be shipped from here, compared to 200 GWh imported from here.
Portugal sent PAER to Spain to comply with cross-border processing regulations. Due to its proximity to Viana do Castelo parks, it will be presented to nearly a hundred public institutions and organizations, some of them from Galicia. The list includes, among others, the port authorities of Vigo and Vilagarcía, the IEO, Xunta’s departments of energy, cultural heritage and fisheries resources, fishermen’s guilds and the Faculty of Science of Uvigo.
Strong winds hitting the peninsula are causing the average electricity price to drop by almost 66% compared to today, to 23.12 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh); This is the lowest level in more than six months. According to the results published by the Iberian Electricity Market Operator (OMIE) on wholesale tenders for electricity, to find a lower price we have to go back to April 2, when the price was set at 15.74 euro/MWh.
The arrival of storms in the second half of October leads to an increase in daily wind energy production, which is expected to be above average at 266 GWh, which reduces the activity of gas combined cycles, relieving prices. The drop comes after the start of the month saw a severe drought and lack of wind reduce production from renewable sources, the cheapest of which, and a rise in gas prices following new violence in the Middle East and strikes at utilities. Alleged sabotage of Australian gas companies and the Baltic oil pipeline. Today, the highest price of electricity will be seen between 20.00-21.00 with 75 euro/MWh, and the lowest price will be seen between 15.00-16.00 with 1.64 euro/MWh.