MADRID (Reuters) – Wind and solar accounted for 40% of electricity production in Spain in April, a record that was partly explained by a windy spring and an increase in installed capacity for renewable energies, according to a report by think tank Ember Climate released on Tuesday.
Wind farms provided 26.2% of the country’s electricity last month, photovoltaic plants 14.1%, says Ember Climate, citing data compiled by the Spanish grid operator, Red Electrica.
Green energy production benefited from strong winds during the month and an increase in installed capacity. Wind power production capacity increased by 3.7% compared to last year, while photovoltaic capacity increased by a strong 26%.
Nuclear power plants and gas-fired power plants accounted for 21.6% and 20.3% of the volume of electricity generated in Spain, respectively, during the month, according to Ember Climate.
The previous record for the share of solar and wind energy in the country’s electricity mix was 38% in May 2021.
With its sunny plains, fast-flowing rivers and windy hills, Spain aims to generate 67% of its electricity from renewables by 2026.
The economic recovery plan adopted by the Spanish government after the COVID-19 pandemic allocates some 6.9 billion euros to renewable energies, green hydrogen and energy storage by 2023, and aims to attract 9.45 billion euros of private investment.
(Inti Landauro report, French version Diana Mandiá, edited by Sophie Louet)
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