The country’s persistence has been rewarded. After years of promoting the use of clean power, it succeeded on running on renewables during four consecutive days. However, a transition to 100% remains far-fetched, partly due to EU’s lack of ambition.
During four days non-stop, Portugal’s total energy use was completely and solely covered by renewable energy sources. The country used only wind, hydro and solar power from 6.45 a.m. on Saturday 7 May to 5.45 p.m. on Wednesday 11 May. That is 107 consecutive hours without the need to resort to any source of non-renewable energy, particularly coal or natural gas, according to an analysis of official government data.
This feat was greeted with understandable acclaim by the Portuguese press: “Over the 12 months of 2014, 63% of all the electricity consumed by the Portuguese was from renewable sources. Now, with the record set over four days, we know that 100% is possible!”
Indeed, the current performance owes nothing to chance. Since 2001, the Portuguese government launched the E4 Programme, an energy policy instrument aimed at promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, so as to preserve the environment by reducing gas emissions, especially the carbon dioxide responsible for climate change.
Since then, the country has slowly but surely been replacing oil and coal in its energy balance. In this way, during February 2016, an equivalent of 95% of electricity consumed in Portugal was produced by renewable sources such as biomass, hydropower, wind power and solar power. A total of 4139 GWh was produced by these sources. In 2014, 63% of its electricity needs were supplied by renewables, which was over 37% better than the previous year. However, during 2015, there was a drop in comparison to the previous year due to low productivity in the hydroelectric sector because of a dry year, bringing down the figure to 50.4%.
But this time, Portugal could count on a particularly favourable weather to turn its wind turbines and hydroelectric plants.
Jean-François Fauconnier, an expert from Climate Action Network Europe told Euronews: “this performance is really remarkable for Portugal because it was four days in a row and not only on a weekend but Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday when the industry is running at full speed. Some member states – Spain, Denmark or Germany – have reached near this level, but only briefly.”
While for some, four days is no big deal, yet it is a heartening prospect especially when May blasted temperature records, becoming Earth’s hottest month ever, and consequently putting 2016 on pace to be the hottest year on record. This consequence of decades of excess use of fossil fuels highlights the urgency of a switch to renewable energy sources.
Really remarkable for Portugal” – Fauconnier
This notable record reminds us of some others: Last year, Denmark produced 140% of its electricity needs through wind energy. On the 16th May, Germany met 99.3% of its demand via solar and wind energy and on May 10th, the UK burnt no coal for the first time in more than 100 years.
However, as regards a transition to the 100% renewable energies hoped for by many, the Portuguese Environment Minister, João Matos Fernandes, remained levelheaded, saying “Portugal is prepared to go forward. Our goal is a future without carbon emissions”, not specifying the time it would take. But he invited the European Union (EU) “to be more ambitious and not to hang back or hesitate in taking leadership” in its 2030 goals.
Outlined in the EU’s energy and climate goals for 2030, we find the Commissioners want a binding target to reduce carbon emissions by 40% from 1990 levels. Also, renewable sources will need to provide 27% of EU energy by 2030. However, the target will be binding at EU level, but there will be no mandatory targets for member states. So that Portugal, Denmark, UK, and Germany could be flying quite solo in the mission for a cleaner Europe.
