Portugal Energy Information

Portugal Energy Research

- Portugal's Energy & Climate Policy Framework: Portugal targets 55% GHG reduction and 49% renewables by 2030. The Ministry of Climate and Energy oversees policy, with ERSE regulating electricity and gas. The liberalised energy market dominates, with 95% of electricity and 96% of gas consumption. Renewables aim for 51% of final energy use by 2030, supported by auctions and incentives. Green hydrogen and energy efficiency are key focus areas, with ambitious targets for 2030.

- Portugal's Energy Companies: EDP leads Portugal's electricity market, with significant renewable energy capacity and foreign investment. Galp Energia dominates oil and gas, with upstream projects and a large refining capacity. Chinese firms hold stakes in key energy companies.

- Portugal's Energy Supply & Demand: In 2024, Portugal's energy mix saw renewables reach 87%, with oil remaining dominant. Energy consumption per capita was 35% below the EU average. CO₂ emissions fell by 38% since 2005, and 87% of electricity came from renewables.

- Portugal's Energy Use & Price by Sector: Portugal's energy prices are below EU averages, with gas 30% lower and electricity 5% lower. Final energy demand has stabilised at 16 Mtoe, with transport (38%) and buildings (32%) as the largest consumers. Electricity's share in the energy mix must rise to 67% by 2050 to meet climate targets. Industry and transport sectors show varied energy consumption trends, with transport heavily reliant on petroleum. Residential prices increased by 16% in 2024 due to network tariffs.

- Portugal's Issues & Prospects: Portugal aims to expand renewable energy capacity to 23 GW by 2031, with significant investments in solar, wind, and hydrogen projects. Key initiatives include the H2Med hydrogen pipeline and the Tâmega hydroelectric complex. Transmission network upgrades and green hydrogen production are also prioritised.

Portugal Total Energy Production & Consumption

Portugal's primary consumption has been decreasing by 2%/year since 2017, reaching 19 Mtoe in 2024. Consumption per capita is almost 35% lower than the EU average at 1.8 toe.

Oil remained the dominant energy source with a stable share (42% in 2024). The share of renewables increased by 11 pp since 2010 to 22% in 2024, while the share of gas decreased by 10 pp since 2020 to 16% in 2024, and that of coal by 16 pp since 2015 to almost 0%.

Graph: Primary Consumption Trends by Energy Source

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal Total Energy Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Portugal Oil Production & Consumption

Portugal does not produce oil and imported 10.5 Mt of crude oil in 2024 (-3% compared to 2023). In 2024, the main crude oil suppliers were Brazil (43%), Algeria (17%), and the US (10%).

Oil imports by supplier

Source: DGEG (2022)

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal Crude Oil Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Interactive Chart Portugal Refined Oil Products Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Portugal Natural Gas Production & Consumption

Portugal imports all the gas it consumes. Imports reached 3.6 bcm in 2024 (-17%), mainly as LNG. Imports reached a peak in 2017 at 6.2 bcm. Previously, they remained between 4 and 5 bcm over 2012-16.

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal Gas Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Portugal Coal and Lignite Production & Consumption

The country's low coal production stopped in 1995, and imports have covered consumption until the closure of Portugal's last coal-fired plant in 2021.

Coal consumption stopped in 2022. It had dropped drastically from a level of 5 Mt in 2017. Previously, coal was almost entirely used for power generation.

Graph: Coal Production & Consumption

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal Coal and Lignite Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Portugal Renewable in % Electricity Production

ADENE, a private non-profit association, is Portugal's national agency responsible for the development of renewables and support of decarbonization and energy transition.

According to its updated NECP, Portugal aims to reach a 51% share of renewables in final energy consumption by 2030 and 93% of renewables in power generation by 2026. In 2023, the share of renewables in final energy consumption reached 35.2% (61% for power, 45.6% for heating and cooling, and 8.7% for transport). The target for 2020 was exceeded by 3 points, with an actual share of 34%.

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Portugal GHG emissions and CO₂ emissions

The updated NECP aims to reduce GHG emissions (without LULUCF) by 55% in 2030 compared to 2005 levels (from 45-55% in the previous NECP). It also brings forward the carbon neutrality target from 2050 (Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 2050, RCN 2050) to 2045.

Source: Portugal energy report

Interactive Chart Portugal CO₂ emissions

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data