2021 begins with a first quarter of wind energy and solar records

The explosive increase in installed wind energy and photovoltaic capacity registered since 2019 in the Iberian Peninsula is leading to the continuous breaking of generation records with these renewable technologies. On the other hand, the escalation in CO2 prices in recent months, which continue the long upward race that they have been leading since 2018, has also brought absolute records in this first quarter of 2021.
Renewable production records in mainland Spain

The peninsular wind power generation has registered a generation record in the first quarter of 2021. During the first three months of the year, wind technology generated about 19,000 GWh, 9.7% more than in the last quarter of 2020. These records represent a quarterly generation record since they exceed the data for the first quarter of 2018 by 7.5%, which was the current record so far.

For its part, photovoltaic generation registered about 3,500 GWh in these three months. A figure that represents a new generation record in the first quarter, 35% higher than the generation in the first quarter of 2020, which was the previous record.

Together, wind turbines and photovoltaic have generated more than 22,000 GWh during the first quarter, a record that exceeds by 12% the records of the last quarter of 2020, the one with the highest wind and photovoltaic generation so far.

The race to the rise in CO2 prices continues

Another record registered in the first quarter of 2021 has been that of the prices of CO2 emission rights. This is a record that is not surprising and was to be expected. Since the momentary drop in prices at the time of the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, prices have not stopped rising. Analyzing it with a little more perspective, the upward trend in CO2 prices starts in 2018, although the acceleration in these months of 2021 has been noticeable.

The average price of CO2 emission rights for the first three months of 2021 is around € 37.50 per ton, a quarterly price that represents an absolute record and is € 10 / t higher than that of the last quarter of 2020.
AleaSoft – Price of CO2 emission rights USA Source: Prepared by AleaSoft with data from EEX.
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