Consumption of electricity increases 1.1% in October

The consumption of electricity increased 1.1% in October, or 0.4% when considering the correction for the temperature effects and for the number of working days. At the end of October, the accumulated annual variation is 2.8%, or 1.6% when correcting for temperature and number of working days.

This month, the reduced rainfall level extended the dry period, with a hydrological capability index of only 0.41 (historical average of 1). Conversely, wind generation benefited from very favourable conditions, with the corresponding capability index standing at 1.19 (historical average of 1). Thus, total renewable production supplied 45% of the domestic consumption, non-renewable production supplied 51% and the balance of foreign trade, which favoured imports this month, supplied the remaining 4%.

The annual hydropower capability index is now 1.15 (historical average of 1), whereas the wind-power capability index is 1.00 (historical average of 1), perfectly matching the average value. From January to October, renewable-source energy production supplied 52% of consumption, broken down into 23% for hydropower, 22% for wind power, 5% for biomass and 1.6% for photovoltaics. Non-renewable production supplied the remaining 48% of consumption, with natural gas accounting for 28% and coal for 20%. Foreign trade balance favoured exports, amounting to around 6% of the domestic consumption.

In the natural gas market there was a year-on-year decline in consumption again this month, due to the drop in the power production segment, influenced by the availability of renewable energy. Consumption recorded a variation of -1.2%, with the conventional segment growing 1.4% and the electricity market decreasing 5.9%. At the end of October, the consumption of natural gas records a negative year-on-year annual variation of 6.8%, stemming from a decrease of 23% in the electricity market and from an increase of 4.4% in the conventional segment.