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Renewables covered 59% of Portugal's power consumption in 2021

Renewables accounted for 59% of Portugal's power consumption in 2021, with 26% of wind, 23% of hydropower, 7% of biomass and 3.5% of solar photovoltaic (PV), according to the Portuguese power transmission system operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN). Solar power generation surged by 37% during the year. Non-renewable energy sources supplied 31% of electricity consumption in Portugal, with 29% of gas and 2% coal - the last remaining coal-fired power plant in Pego (628 MW) was shut down in November 2021 - and electricity imports accounted for the remaining 10%. Electricity consumption increased by 1.4% in 2021 but remains 1.7% below the 2019 level, whereas natural gas consumption declined by 4.6%, due to a 1.5% drop in the conventional segment and a 10% fall in the electricity production segment.