Wind power generated 31.5% of electricity in Spain in January

The demand for electricity in Spain fell by 4.1% in January. Renewables such as concentrated solar power thermal, photovoltaic, hydraulic and wind energy generated 57.4%, up to 13,742 GWh of electricity generated during this month, the highest monthly production since records exist. Also, technologies free of CO2 equivalent emissions broke their own monthly mark by producing 18,827 GWh of electricity this month. His contribution meant 80% of the monthly mix.

In January, the demand for electricity in Spain stood at 22,052 GWh, 3% less than that registered in the same month of the previous year. If the effects of working hours and temperatures are taken into account, demand decreased by 4.1%.


Evolution of electricity demand in Spain

During this month, renewable production has been 40.9% higher than that of the same month in 2022, and has reached a record figure of 13,742 GWh of monthly generation, thus achieving a share of 57.4% of the total mix.

With the boost of renewables, the production of the set of technologies that do not emit CO2 equivalent has also registered a new historical maximum of 18,827 GWh, more than 80% of the total generation in Spain, and have reached levels of up to 90.7 % during some hours of the month.

The favorable weather conditions this month, with constant and moderate winds, have promoted wind power to be the first source of electricity generation with a contribution of 31.5% of the total, according to provisional data available today. This technology has increased its monthly production by 39.2% compared to the same month in 2022 and has recorded 7,537 GWh. In January, this technology was responsible for more than 50% of the daily energy generated for two days, with the one on the 8th reaching a new peak by contributing 53.1% of the mix.

For its part, photovoltaic solar, with 1,668 GWh recorded in January, increased its production by 6.3% compared to last year, obtaining a 7% share.

Hydraulics, which had had a low contribution to the Spanish generation structure for several months, increased by 93.8% this January compared to the same month in 2022, reaching 4,042 GWh, a figure that represents 16.9% of the total.


Demand structure in January

Peninsular demand falls by 3.2%

At the peninsular level, the electricity demand has been 20,834 GWh, 3.2% lower than that of January 2022, a variation that decreases to 4.4% once the effects of the calendar and weather are taken into account.

The group of peninsular renewables generated almost 60% of the total in January, according to the provisional data available today, which show a record production of 13,558 GWh, 40.6% more than in the same month of the previous year. In turn, emission-free technologies contributed 83.1% of the total.

The peninsular generation structure for January is also led by wind power, which has been responsible for 32.4% of the total with 7,403 GWh produced during this month, 38.3% more than in January 2022.

The electrical system in the Balearic and Canary Islands

In the Balearic Islands, the demand for electricity in January is estimated at 453,756 MWh, 2.4% lower than that registered in January 2022 and 2.5% less if the effects of working hours and temperatures are taken into account .

As for generation, the combined cycle, with 75.7% of the energy produced in the Balearic Islands, was the first source on the islands this month. For its part, renewable energy without equivalent CO2 emissions generated in the Balearic Islands represented 8.1% of the total. In addition, the submarine link between the Peninsula and Majorca contributed during this month to cover 27.2% of the Balearic electricity demand.

For its part, in the Canary Islands the demand for electricity in January was 731,584 MWh, 2.6% more. Once again, if the effects of the calendar and temperatures are taken into account, the demand was 2.2% higher than the same month of the previous year.

As regards electricity generation in the Canary Islands, the combined cycle, with 39.4% of the total, was also the first source in the month of January. Renewables and emission-free technologies increased by 95.7% compared to January 2022 and reached a share of 21.5% of production, with the wind contribution being 18.3%.