In February 2025, 81.2% of the electricity generated came from renewable sources, reaching 3,499 GWh out of a total of 4,309 GWh. However, national electricity generation decreased by 5.1% compared to February 2024, mainly due to a 12.5% reduction in wind power production.

The data comes from the Renewable Electricity Bulletin for February 2025, prepared by APREN – Associação Portuguesa de Energias Renováveis, based on information collected from various energy sector sources, including REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais), OMIE (Iberian Energy Market Operator), ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators), and DGEG (Direção-Geral de Energia e Geologia). 

As a result, the country had to rely on electricity imports, which accounted for 8.8% of national consumption. 

Despite this setback, Portugal maintains a renewable energy share above the European average and ranks only behind Norway and Denmark in terms of clean energy participation in its power mix.

During February, hydropower production accounted for 47.6% of the electricity mix, generating 3,595 GWh. Despite the decline in wind power production, this technology remains a key contributor, generating 2,696 GWh (21% of the total). 

Other renewable sources included solar, with 609 GWh (7.7%), bioenergy, with 464 GWh (5.0%), and pumped hydro storage, with 506 GWh (5.4%). 

On the other hand, fossil fuel sources and cogeneration contributed 13.4% of the electricity generated, with natural gas accounting for 1,022 GWh (10.5%) and fossil cogeneration and other waste sources producing 254 GWh (2.9%). 

The decline in wind power generation affected the energy balance, forcing an increase in electricity imports and greater use of thermal generation in the energy mix.

The lower availability of wind power, combined with the need for electricity imports, impacted the Iberian electricity market (MIBEL). 

In February 2025, the average price in Portugal was €102.2/MWh, 77.6% higher than in the same period in 2024. The extreme prices recorded during the month ranged from a minimum hourly price of €3.52/MWh to a maximum of €240/MWh. The rise in market prices was also reflected in the cost of CO₂ emission allowances, which reached €75.8/tCO₂, an increase of 25.4% compared to 2024.

Despite the increase in electricity costs, Portugal continues to achieve periods of fully renewable generation. 

In the first two months of the year, there were 330 hours in which renewable production met 100% of demand, with an average price of €92.1/MWh during these hours. 

The high share of renewable energy allowed Portugal’s power sector to maintain low carbon emissions, totaling 0.46 MtCO₂eq in February, with specific emissions of 50.5 gCO₂eq/kWh. 

The environmental benefits of renewable generation in the first two months of the year include a reduction of 1.8 MtCO₂eq in emissions, savings of €207 million in natural gas imports, €320 million in electricity imports, and €119 million in avoided CO₂ emission allowances. 

These figures highlight the positive impact of diversifying the energy mix and reducing fossil fuel consumption in the national electricity system.

The growth of renewable capacity in Portugal has been consistent over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2025, installed renewable capacity increased by 8,560 MW, a 69.6% rise. 

In January 2025, installed capacity grew by 66 MW, driven primarily by the expansion of solar power, with 57 MW added in decentralized generation and 17 MW in centralized generation. 

However, the drop in wind power generation in February suggests that it is necessary to strengthen the resilience of the electricity system through improvements in energy storage, diversification of renewable sources, and enhancement of interconnection infrastructure with other countries.

Portugal continues its transition towards a power system with a high share of renewables but faces challenges in ensuring stable generation.

Dependence on wind energy and the lack of efficient storage have proven to be critical issues that must be addressed to ensure a more stable production and reduce reliance on imports. 

As renewable capacity continues to grow, it will be essential to promote new technological solutions such as battery storage or green hydrogen and expand integration with neighboring electricity markets to optimize supply and demand management.