Portugal plans to increase the share of renewable sources in electricity generation to 93 percent by 2030 as part of its decarbonization effort, according to an updated draft energy and climate plan, Reuters writes.
However, the draft proposal reduced the target of installed electrolyzers for the production of green hydrogen by 45% by 2030. Portugal is only now taking the first steps towards installing electrolyzers and currently has almost no production of green hydrogen.
European nations are increasingly betting on renewable energy sources, especially after gas prices hit record highs in 2022 following the imposition of sanctions on Russia
Renewable energy sources supplied 61% of electricity in Portugal in 2023, which ranked it among the countries with the highest share of renewable sources in electricity production in any European country. A year ago, the former government set a target of 85% share of RES by 2030.
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Marija da Graca Carvalho, said that the updated plan aims to combat climate change, guarantee energy security, as well as to “attract investments and generate competitiveness”.
She said two weeks ago that her government wants to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 51% of the country’s energy needs by 2030, up from the current target of 47%.
The revised draft maintains Portugal’s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, a goal set by the former socialist government a year ago. It is also committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.
With the planned 14.4 GW of electricity produced from wind farms by 2030, the total installed capacity of renewable energy will rise to 42.9 GW, or twice the capacity that was in operation in 2023. In 2023, Portugal had 5.9 GW of installed onshore wind capacity and a small 25 MW floating wind farm project on the Atlantic coast.
However, Portugal lowered its green hydrogen production target to 3 GW by 2030, down from the 5.5 GW set in June 2023. This would absorb 8.6 GW of renewable electricity.
However, the draft adds that Portugal has “very favorable conditions for the installation of a green hydrogen industry” because it has the main advantage of the low cost of electricity generation from renewable sources.
E2 portal (Energy of the Balkans)
Source: www.e2.rs
