Spain´s Electricity Generation Mix 2015

In this post is summarized the electricity production of the Spanish power system during the 2015.

 

Increase in the electricity demand

 

The electricity demand has increased in a 1,9% comparing with the previous year. There wasn´t a positive increase in the electricity demand since 2010. This increase can indicate that the economic crisis is now less powerful than in the years before. However, the total amount of energy consumed is far away from the level before de crisis. In total, the electricity demand is 248,2 TWh.

The following table shows the evolution of the electricity demand between 2011 and 2015.

Decrease in the renewable produccion

 

Talking about renewable energy, the news are quite bad. During 2015, only the 37,4% of the electricity demand has been covered by renewable sources, while during 2014 the percentage was 42,8%.

The main reason is that the hydropower energy production has decreased in a 28,2% because 2015 has been a year with less rainfalls than 2014. Wind energy also has reduced his contribution to the electricity demand in a 5,3%.

Unfortunately, this decrease in renewable energy production has been covered by an increase in coal production, which is a very pollutant energy source.

The following figure shows the evolution of the renewable energy generation between 2011 and 2015.

  

Nuclear energy has covered the 21,7% of the total energy demand of the Spanish Power System, followed by coal, with the 19,1% and by wind energy, who covered the 19,1%. Other energy sources have less contribution to the system, such us hydropower (11,1%), combined heat and power and wastes (10,6) and the combined cycle power (10%). Solar energy has covered the 3,1% and CSP the 2.1%. 

The following figure shows the Spanish electricity generation mix during 2015.

Without changes in the installed capacity

 

The Spanish power system is oversized. That means that the opening of new centrals is limited, so the total installed capacity has kept very similar from 2014 to 2015. The only change has been the closing of a fuel-gas central with 854 MW and the opening of a hydropower central with 250 MW.

The following figure shows the total installed capacity by source.

Increase in the CO2 emissions

 

The increase of the percentage of the electricity demand covered by coal has a direct consequence: an increase in the CO2 emissions. The greenhouse effect gasses emissions increased in almost 10 million of tones of CO2 during 2015, compared with 2014 data. It is important to say that 2014 was year with a high renewable energy production.

The following figure shows the evolution of the CO2 emissions between 2011 and 2015.

International balance

 

The international exchange of electricity has increased in a year in which the rated power of the connection between France and Spain has doubled from 1.400 MW to 2.800 MW.

Spain has doubled the amount of energy imported from France. However, Spain continues being a country with a positive balance between imports and exports of electricity.

Conclusion

It can not be said that 2015 has been a good year for renewable energy. There has been a decrease in the production, and the installation of new capacity is completely paralyzed due to the current laws.