• Renewable energies contribute 42.8% of total production
• The Spanish Peninsula-Balearic Islands interconnection allowed 23.2% of the Balearic Island demand to be covered
• 621 km of circuits of new lines in the national transmission grid

The electricity demand on the Spanish peninsula during 2014, after factoring in the effects of seasonal and working patterns, fell by 0.2%, representing a slightly lower decrease than the registered last year, which fell 2.2%. Gross demand was 243,486 GWh, 1.2% lower than 2013.

Red Eléctrica publishes this information in the Spanish Electricity System Preliminary Report 2014 that unveils the annual result of the behaviour of the electricity system.

On February 4, maximum values for the year were set with instantaneous power at 39,948 MW at 8:18 pm, and hourly demand at 38,666 MWh between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

In addition, on 11 February, the maximum daily electricity demand was registered 798 GWh.

   %         Annual evolution of the peninsular electricity demand (rolling year)    

Renewable energy balance and demand coverage

Renewable energies have maintained a prominent role in the overall energy production this year covering 42.8% of total production (42.2% in 2013).

In absolute terms, renewable generation was down 1% on the previous year, mainly due to the 6.1% drop in wind energy production. Nevertheless, wind energy technology was the largest contributor to the total production in the peninsular electricity system in the months of January, February and November.

Producible hydroelectric stood at 32,655 GWh, 18% higher than the average historical value and is practically the same as the 2013 value.

Regarding demand coverage, nuclear covered 21.9%, wind covered 20.4%, coal 16.4%, hydroelectric 15.4% and cogeneration 10.4%. With less than 10% are combined cycle, at 8.5%, and solar technologies and thermal renewable, which together covered 7% of the annual demand, similar to the figure registered in 2013.

Regarding CO₂ emissions from the peninsular electricity system, the increase in production from coal-fired power stations was offset by the generation of renewable energy, which resulted in an emissions balance of 60.4 million tonnes in 2014, a value similar to that registered in 2013.

Peninsular installed power capacity remains stable

Installed power in the complete set of generating facilities on the Spanish peninsula remained virtually unchanged from that of 2013, closing the year at 102,259 MW, 0.1% less than in December last year. This was mainly due to the reduction of 159 MW of power due to the closure of the Escucha coal-fired power station.

Installed power capacity as at 31 December 2014 (102,259 MW)

Non-peninsular systems

Annual demand for electricity in the set of non-peninsular systems fell by 0.9% in 2014 as compared to the previous year. By system, the registered falls were 1.7% in the Balearic Islands, 0.5% in the Canary Islands, while Ceuta and Melilla grew by 5.4% and 0.3% respectively.

The Spanish Peninsula-Balearic Islands interconnection registered an export balance from the Peninsula to the Balearic Islands of 1,293 GWh that has enabled 23.2% of the demand of the Balearic Islands’ electricity system to be covered.

Installed power capacity has also remained in these systems at levels similar to 2013, except for the Canary Islands where noteworthy was the incorporation of 12 MW on the island of El Hierro, corresponding to a new power station that combines wind and pumped storage (hydro-wind).

Exporter balance in the international exchange programme.

The balance of international electricity exchanges remained, for yet another year was as an exporter, standing at 3,543 GWh, 47.4% less than in 2013.

Exports stood at 15,772 GWh and imports at 12,228 GWh.

Balance of international electricity exchanges

National power transmission grid

Commissioned during 2014 were 621 km of circuits of new lines, meaning that at the end of the year the national transmission grid totalled 42,760 km of circuit. Furthermore, transformer capacity rose by 3,535 MVA, increasing the total national transformer capacity to 84,779 MVA.

The Press Office of Red Eléctrica publishes all written and visual information via the Twitter account RedElectricaREE.

Also on Facebook through the account RedElectricaREE.