Demand for electricity in Spain fell by 0.4% in May
  • For the third consecutive month, wind power was the main energy generation technology with a 21% share in the national generation mix.
  • 49.8% of monthly generation came from renewable sources and 69.2% was obtained using zero-carbon energy technologies.
  • Electricity demand increased by 23.8% in the Balearic Islands and 10.9% in the Canary Islands compared to May 2021.

 

National electricity demand in May is estimated at 20,274 GWh, 0.4% lower than that recorded in the same month in 2021. After having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, national demand registered a fall of 2.9%.

 

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In the first five months of 2022, demand is estimated at 104,070 GWh, 2% lower than in the same period in 2021. Once again, after having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, the demand is 2.5% lower than in the previous year.

In the month of May, and according to data estimated at the time of this press release, generation from renewable energy sources accounted for 49.8% of generation and 69.2% of electricity production was obtained using zero-carbon energy technologies.

Wind power generation in May reached 4,641 GWh and represented 21% of the generation mix nationwide, ranking it in first place in terms of electricity production in Spain for the third consecutive month. It was followed by nuclear, with 18.5%, and combined cycle, with 17% of the total mix nationwide.

 

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Demand for electrical energy in the peninsular electricity system fell 1.2%

Demand for electrical energy in the mainland electricity system in May is estimated at 19,059 GWh, down 1.2% on the figure registered in May 2021. After having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, demand has decreased by 3.9%.

In the first five months of 2022, electricity demand on the Spanish mainland is estimated at 98,242 GWh, 2.7% less than in 2021. In this case, after having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, the figure is 3.2% lower than that recorded in the same period last year.

In the month of May, and according to data estimated at the time of this press release, 51.7% of the generation on the Spanish mainland came from renewable sources and 72.3% was obtained using zero-carbon energy technologies. Wind energy accounted for 4,522 GWh and contributed 21.7% to the electricity generation mix, making it the leading technology, ahead of nuclear, which accounted for 19.6% of the total. Solar photovoltaic (15.4%) combined cycle (14.9%) and hydro and cogeneration (9.2%) respectively, complete the ranking of the technologies that generated the most this month.

Demand for electricity in May increased by 23.8% in the Balearic Islands and by 11.6% in the Canary Islands

In the Balearic Islands, the demand for electricity in May is estimated at 470,917 MWh, a value that is 23.8% higher than that recorded in the same month last year. After having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, the figure is up 20.8% on that recorded in May 2021. In the first five months of 2022, gross demand on the Balearic Islands is estimated at 2,210,412 MWh, a value that represents an increase of 10.4% compared to the same period in 2021.

In terms of overall generation, combined cycle, with 74.6% of the energy produced in the Balearic Islands, was the leading technology in the archipelago in May. Thus, renewable energy obtained using zero-carbon energy technologies in the Balearic Islands accounted for 8.6% of the total. In addition, during this month the submarine link between the mainland and Majorca contributed to covering 6.6% of the electricity demand in the Balearic Islands.

Regarding the Canary Islands, electricity demand is estimated at 712,065 MWh, up 11.6% on that recorded in May 2021. After having factored in the influence of seasonal and working patterns, demand increased by 11.4% compared to the previous year.

In the first five months of 2022, demand on the Canary Islands, in gross terms, is estimated at 3,457,946 MWh, 10.9% higher than in the same period in 2021.

Regarding electricity generation in the Canary Islands, combined cycle, with 44.3% of the total, was the leading technology in May, while renewables and zero-carbon energy technologies accounted for 21.6% of production, with wind power contributing 16.7% to the overall generation mix.

Consult our Daily Balance Report for more information on the National, Peninsular, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands electricity systems as at the close of May.