Power consumption stabilises in July

1Power consumption showed a recovery during the month of July, when compared with recent months, remaining in line with the same month of the previous year, with no variation. However, when correcting for the effects of temperature and working days, which was higher than the usual figures, a negative variation of 3.5% was observed. Nonetheless, it was a lower decrease compared to those observed since April. The annual cumulative now registers a negative variation of 4.3%, or 5.0% when correcting for temperature and working days, thus representing, for this period, the lowest consumption since 2005.

In July, the hydropower capability index stood at 0.65 (historical average of 1), whereas the wind-power capability index was 0.86 (historical average of 1). Renewable production fuelled 35% of domestic consumption and non-renewable production accounted for 48%, while the remaining 17% were supplied with imported energy.

From January to July, the hydropower capability index stood at 0.94 (historical average of 1), whereas the wind-power capability index was 0.86 (historical average of 1). In the same period, renewable production supplied 60% of consumption, broken down into 28% for hydropower, 23% for wind power, 7% for biomass and 2.6% for photovoltaics. Non-renewable production supplied 32% of consumption, with virtually only natural gas, as coal production continued to be residual, accounting for less than 1% of consumption. Foreign trade balance amounts to around 8% of domestic consumption.

The natural gas market also showed a recovery compared to recent months, with a year-on-year decrease of 2%, as a result of a negative variation of 6.2% in the conventional segment and a positive variation of 2.9% in the power production segment. 

In the year to date, accumulated annual consumption contracted 4.8%, with the conventional segment showing a negative variation of 9% and the power production segment growing 4.4%.