SOURCE: FREEPIK
Spain continues to demonstrate its enormous potential for renewable productionsince wind and photovoltaic energy could end the year beating their own electricity production records, reached last year.
Renewable energies are on the right track, as they aspire to become largest source of electricity generation on our planet from the year 2050, surpassing coal. The use of renewable energies, energy of the future but also of the present, implies enormous benefits for the planet in its fight against the climate emergency.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy will occupy almost all 40% of global electricity production in 2027. At the same time, the share of coal, natural gas and nuclear in the power generation mix will continue to decline.
SOURCE: FREEPIKContents
The renewable generation potential in Spain
The 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)organized in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), reminded us of the importance of renewable energies.
Spain is a country with a lot of potential, but we can’t decide when the light can go out or when the wind has to blow. Making renewable energy increasingly important does not just depend on investing more in solar panels and wind turbines. It also depends on the security of supply and, no less important, on the possibility of storing this energy.
The ability to produce electricity with clean energy has increased by 42% since 2015. Wind energy is no stranger to this large increase, but in recent years the renewable energy which has seen the most strong growth is solar photovoltaic energy, which has quadrupled the installed capacity.
Renewable production: wind and photovoltaic energy
Forecasts indicate that the wind energy could exceed 61,000 GWh in our country1% more than in 2021. Regarding the solar energywould be located for the first time as fourth technology in the power generation mix in Spainending the year with 33% more production than in 2021.
Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia, parent company of Red Eléctrica, provides an update on the development of these renewable energies:
This development of wind energy and photovoltaic energy strengthens Spain’s position as the renewable engine of the European Union. The path of ecological transition is the only possible path for a strong and autonomous “electric” union.Corridor Beatrice
Experts predict that the wind power it will be the first renewable technology At the end of the year. This fact would mean almost 22.1% of the entire mix, only behind the combination cycle (24.8%). Photovoltaic energy is the technology that has advanced the most, managing to overtake hydraulic energy in this year 2022.
Regarding the total calculation of the year 2022, renewable production is one of the main assets, representing 42.1% of the electricity production of our country. Data compiled by experts indicate that the total production of electrical energy in Spain could be more than 276,000 GWh6.5% more than in 2021.
Electric power and renewable generation capacity
According to figures provided by Red Eléctrica, the Spanish generation fleet could end 2022 with more than 117 GW of installed power, 3.8% more than the total amount of electricity recorded in 2021.
Renewable generation capacity amounts to more than 58% of the total Spanish generation fleet, integrating 4.6 new GW of renewable energies, including 1.2 GW of wind energy and 3.4 GW of photovoltaic energy. During this year 2022, the presence of polluting technologies has been reduced, mainly coal, reducing its power by 300 MW.
The demand for electrical energy in the Spanish electricity system is estimated at more than 250,000 GWh in this year 2022, 2.2% less to that of the year 2021. The Spanish electricity system has changed course, breaking the import trend of the last six years. The export balance at the end of the year is estimated at more than 20,000 GWh. The nuclear generation crisis in France has led Spain to export much more electricity than in previous years.
Investment in clean energy
The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit the increase in the global temperature of the planet to 1.5 ºC, in addition to including commitments by all countries to reduce their emissions and to work together to limit the impacts of climate change.
A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) pointed out earlier this year that investment in clean energy could exceed $2 trillion per year by 2030, an increase of more than 50% compared to compared to today. .
Sources: Editorial Ambientum, The Energy Journal, Energética21, EnergyNews, SOLARINFO