Spain's renewable output hits 64.3% of power mix in April

Renewables accounted for 64.3% of Spain’s electricity generation in April, according to provisional data released by grid operator Red Electrica de España (REE) on Thursday.

The figures show renewables produced 12,955 GWh during the month. Wind power was the largest source with a 21.6% share, followed by solar photovoltaic (20.1%) and hydroelectric (19.4%).

New records were set in April: on April 16, renewable power generation reached 80.7% of total output between 1200 and 1300 local time, while solar PV hit an hourly record share of 61% on April 21. Energy storage technologies integrated 990 GWh of renewable energy during the month, REE said.

Adjusted for temperature and calendar effects, national demand dropped by 2.1% compared to April 2024. In gross terms, consumption stood at 18,655 GWh, down 3.3% year-on-year, partly due to the timing of Easter.

Daily demand plummeted on April 28, falling 40.9% compared with the equivalent day in 2024, while demand on April 29 was down 12.7% year-on-year. The sharp declines coincided with a widespread blackout that affected mainland Spain and Portugal in the afternoon of April 28, with power largely restored the following day. The cause of the outage remains under investigation.

Cumulative demand from January to April reached 83,686 GWh, a 1.2% increase on the same period in 2024, or 0.5% higher when adjusted.

In the Balearic Islands, April demand rose 0.7% year-on-year on an adjusted basis, with renewables supplying 18.1% of electricity and combined cycle plants leading the mix. The mainland-Balearic interconnection met 19.9% of local demand.

In the Canary Islands, demand declined 1.7% year-on-year. Renewables made up 21.1% of generation, led by wind power, which provided 15.1% of the mix.