Madrid, March 4 (EFECOM).- Electricity demand in Spain fell by 1.8% in February in a year-on-year comparison, as reported on Monday by Red Eléctrica, highlighting the contribution of wind energy, the leader in power generation for the fifth consecutive year and by Participation reached 31.2% of the total for the month.
According to data provided by the system operator, over the year Spain recorded a demand of 42,181 GWh, 0.5% lower, while calendar and temperature effects will rise by 0.8% compared to 2023.
Last month, total national electricity demand decreased by 1.8% compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 20,058 gigawatt-hours; However, taking into account the calendar and temperatures, it advanced by a slight 0.8%.
Renewable energy production increased by 32.9% compared to February 2023, reaching 13,152 GWh, or 59.55% of the total, a share almost identical to the maximum recorded last November (59.56%).
Wind energy, which generated 31.2% of the total, was the leading technology for the fifth month in a row, with output reaching 6,901 gigawatt hours, an increase of 47.6%.
Moreover, the rainfall in recent months has allowed the hydraulic company to increase its production by 31.6%, i.e. 3,242 GWh, making it the third technology in the “mix” of the month, with 14.7% of the total.
For its part, solar photovoltaic energy, with a capacity of 2,500 GWh, increased its production by 16.2%, with participation by 11.3%.
Zero-emission production reached its best record, producing 81.4% of the total in Spain, highlights Red Eléctrica, which highlights the date of February 10, when it recorded a record share of 88.5% of the national “mix”.
At the peninsula level, taking into account calendar and temperature effects, demand increased by 0.5% year-on-year.
In terms of total value, demand was 18,912 GWh, 2% lower, mainly due to milder temperatures compared to the previous winter.
In the first two months of the year, demand on the peninsula reached 39,816 GWh, 0.7% lower.
Renewable energy sources on the peninsula produced 61.7% of the total in February, and preliminary data show that production reached 12,980 gigawatt hours, an increase of 32.4% on the previous year.
Zero-emission technologies contributed 84.7% of the total.
Wind also led the generation structure on the peninsula in February, accounting for 32.2% of the total, with 6,790 GWh.
In the Balearic Islands, demand was 1.6% higher than in the same month of 2023, taking into account the calendar and temperatures; In total value, it reached 409,881 MWh, i.e. 5.2% less, and in cumulative value it actually decreased by 3.1%.
Combined cycle, with 76.7% of the energy produced, was the islands’ top source this month.
In the Canary Archipelago, demand increased by 8.4%, taking into account calendar and temperature effects.
The total also increased by 8.2%, reaching 703,903 megawatt hours. Until February, demand for the Canary Islands is expected to rise by 5.5%.
In its case, combined cycle, at 42% of the total, was also first generation technology. Aficom
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