Portugal ran entirely on renewable energy for 4 straight days

Using solar, wind and hydro power, the country had an extraordinary 107-hour run that lasted four days

In a clean energy milestone, Portugal ran completely on renewable energy for four consecutive days last week.

Using solar, wind and hydro power, the country had an extraordinary 107-hour run that lasted from 6:45am on May 7 (Saturday) until 5:45pm the following Wednesday, according to data analysis of national energy network figures.

“We are seeing trends like this spread across Europe - last year with Denmark and now in Portugal. The Iberian peninsula is a great resource for renewables and wind energy, not just for the region but for the whole of Europe,” Oliver Joy, a spokesperson for the Wind Europe trade association said.



Earlier, Germany had announced that clean energy had powered almost all its electricity needs on May 15.

“This is a significant achievement for a European country, but what seems extraordinary today will be commonplace in Europe in just a few years. The energy transition process is gathering momentum and records such as this will continue to be set and broken across Europe,” James Watson, the CEO of SolarPower Europe said.

In 2013, Portugal created half its electricity from combustible fuels, with 27% coming from nuclear, 13% from hydro, 7.5% from wind and 3% from solar, according to Eurostat figures.

However, by last year, the numbers had changed with wind providing 22% of electricity and all renewable sources together providing 48%, according to the Portuguese renewable energy association.

Portugal’s increased move towards renewable energy sources has been prompted by the EU’s renewable targets for 2020. However, support schemes for new wind capacity were reduced in 2012.

Despite this, Portugal added 550MW of wind capacity between 2013 and 2016, and industry groups now have their sights firmly set on the green energy’s export potential, within Europe and without.



“An increased build-out of interconnectors, a reformed electricity market and political will are all essential,” Joy said. “But with the right policies in place, wind could meet a quarter of Europe’s power needs in the next 15 years.”

In 2015, wind power alone met 42% of electricity demand in Denmark, 20% in Spain, 13% in Germany and 11% in the UK.

Further, only last week, UK citizens had their first ever week of coal-free electricity generation in what was hailed as a “historic turning point” by clean energy supporters.

“The age of inflexible and polluting technologies is drawing to an end and power will increasingly be provided from clean, renewable sources,” Watson said.

This article originally appeared on Guardian.