Nov 23, 2008 -- BBC Monitoring

The General Directorate for Energy and Geology (DGEG) has given assurances that the electricity coming from wind energy currently accounts for nearly 4 per cent of the overall electricity consumption, but this is expected to increase to 15 per cent by 2010.

Mainland Portugal had 1,427 wind-powered generators at the end of August, accounting for 2,672 megawatts (MW) distributed by 164 wind farms, which were set up in the middle of 1996. The most recent data that we have from the DGEG is for August and they show that mainland Portugal had wind power of 2,672 MW distributed by 164 farms.

Between January and August, the energy production reached 3,561 gigawatts/hour (GWh), equivalent to 1,999 production hours. In 2001, wind power was 114 MW, distributed by 16 wind farms with a total of 173 wind-driven generators. In 2004 there were already 441 wind generators spread over 71 wind farms, accounting for 537 MW power.

The areas with greatest wind power are Viseu (478 MW), Castelo Branco (409), Viana do Castelo (302), Coimbra (277), Lisbon (225), Vila Real (171), Santarem (152), Leiria (151), and Braga (144). The Lisbon municipalities of Leiria and Castelo Branco draw a lot of energy from wind, accounting for over 50 per cent of the renewable power in those districts.

The DGEG also mentions that, from January to August 2008, licenses were given for 384 MW of wind power. And, according to the data from the Energy Directorate, "if the pace of putting into operation new wind farms does not decrease," at the end of this year "we would reach 2,800 MW of wind power in the national grid."

The total of licensed renewable energy is concentrated in the north of the country, mainly because of the location of the main hydroelectric power stations and the significant number of wind farms. According to data from DGEG, by August, licenses had been issued for 9,653 MW of electricity facilities using renewable energy, accounting for a 21-per cent increase of the power generated until that month. Until then, Portugal had 7,984 MW of capacity for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources.

Source: Publico website, Lisbon, in Portuguese 23 Nov 08

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