RES see their share expand
Net energy from renewables and large hydroelectrics in the first eight months of 2023 reached an all-time high of 16,683 gigawatt-hours, according to data from Greece’s transmission system operator, ADMIE, processed by The Green Tank.
RES also set a record in terms of the share in demand coverage, which reached 41.9%, almost 4.5 percentage points higher than the previous high of 2022 (37.5%). At the opposite end was fossil fuel electricity generation, which reached a historic low, showing a decrease of 25.6% compared to the corresponding period of 2022.
The role of imports in covering demand in January-August 2023 is notable, as they increased by 136.9%, offsetting, together with RES, the large drop in the contribution of natural gas (-26.6%), lignite (-22.4%) and hydroelectrics (-18.7%).
After six consecutive months of decline, demand increased in the July-August period; however, cumulatively at the eight-month level, it decreased to 33,978 GWh, by 3.9% compared to the corresponding period of 2022, recording a five-year low, and by 3.1% compared to the average term of the last five years.
The major reduction in the contribution of gas to electricity generation in the eight months compared to the corresponding period of 2022 (-3,499 GWh), as well as the smaller reduction in the contribution from lignite (-893 GWh) and large-scale hydropower (-564 GWh), was primarily compensated by the large increase in net imports (+2,618 GWh), secondarily by the limitation in electricity demand (-1,380 GWh) and, finally, by the increased contribution of RES (+965 GWh). RES retained the lead in electricity generation in the first eight months of 2023 cumulatively (14,224 GWh), surpassing fossil gas and lignite combined (12,753 GWh) by 1.5 terawatt-hours.
Also in the first eight months of 2023 and despite the plunge of 2023 compared to 2022, gas remained in second place (9,651 GWh), while net imports were in third with 4,530 GWh. This was followed by lignite (3,102 GWh) and large-scale hydropower (2,459 GWh). Lignite hit a record low in its contribution in January-August.
