Consumption of natural gas increases 4.5% in July

The consumption of natural gas increased 4.5% in July, compared to the same period of the previous year. Influencing this increase was the positive behaviour of the power production segment, stemming from unfavourable hydrological conditions. In this segment, there was a positive year-on-year variation of 13.2%, offsetting a 2.1% drop in the conventional segment. 

From January to the end of July, natural gas consumption recorded a year-on-year change of 3.2%, as a result of increases of 9.7% in the electricity market and 0.5% in the conventional market.

In July, electricity consumption recorded a positive year-on-year evolution, with a variation of 1.6% compared to July of the previous year. Correcting for the effects of temperature and working days, the evolution is 0.8%. Thus, at the end of July, consumption is now decreasing 1.7% year-on-year, or 0.8, when correcting for the effects of temperature and number of working days.

The inflows to the hydroelectric dams remained reduced, with a capability index of 0.77 (historical average of 1). Conditions were also negative in wind generation, with the corresponding capability index standing at 0.85 (historical average of 1). In photovoltaic generation, currently with around 650 MW installed, the peak has exceeded 500 MW for the first time. This month, all of the renewable production fuelled 34% of the Portuguese domestic consumption, non-renewable production accounted for 62%, while the remaining 4% were supplied by imports. Energy imports reached, on 27 July, at 2:15 pm, a new all-time high of 3680 MW, above the previous maximum of 3079 MW, recorded at 5:45 pm on 24 March 2019. 

The hydropower capability index for the first seven months of the year stood at 0.57 (historical average of 1), while the wind-power capability index, slightly lower than average, was 0.97 (historical average of 1). In the same period, renewable production supplied 46% of consumption, broken down into wind power with 25%, hydropower with 14%, biomass with 5% and photovoltaics with 2%. Non-renewable production supplied 44% of consumption, with natural gas accounting for 29% and coal for 15%. Imports supplied the remaining 10% of consumption.