On World Energy Day, in a context marked by the challenges of energy security and the reduction of external dependence, Statistics Portugal highlights the recent evolution of renewable energies in Portugal and their contribution to the transformation of the national energy mix and to the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7).
In 2024, the Portuguese energy mix continued to show signs of transformation. Domestic energy production, practically based on renewable sources, reached 8,018 ktoe, the highest value in the series under analysis, corresponding to 39.4% of primary energy consumption. Renewable sources represented 38.3% of primary energy consumption in 2024, 3.5 p.p. more than in 2023, mainly reflecting the increase in hydro and photovoltaic production. Oil remained the main source of primary energy, accounting for 40.8% of the total.
Electricity production from renewable sources accounted for 86.2% of total electricity produced. Renewable installed capacity reached 20,777 MW, corresponding to 78.1% of total installed capacity for electricity production, with photovoltaic technology standing out, as its installed capacity increased by 45.6% compared with the previous year.
The transport sector continues to be one of the main challenges of the energy transition, accounting on average for 35.6% of final energy consumption in the 2015-2024 period.
During this period, average prices of road fuels followed an overall upward trend. After the peak recorded in 2022, average prices decreased in 2023 and stabilized in 2024-2025. At the beginning of 2026, a sharp increase was observed, in a context of greater international uncertainty in energy markets, associated with the volatility of oil prices and the worsening of geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East. In March 2026, petrol IO95 reached €1.833/litre, 4.1% more than in January 2015. Road diesel recorded a more pronounced increase, rising by 14.4% to €1.896/litre. Despite the increase in prices at the beginning of 2026, road fuel consumption remained relatively stable, confirming the limited elasticity of consumption in response to price changes in the short term.
In the European context, Portugal presents a favorable position in indicators measuring the incorporation of renewable energy. In 2024, the overall share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption stood at 36.3%, above the EU average (25.2%), although still far from the national target of 51.0% for 2030. Also in electricity, Portugal recorded a value higher than EU average (65.8% compared with 47.5%). In transport, although the national share of renewables (14.3%) exceeds the EU average (11.2%), it remains the most challenging area of the energy transition. National energy dependence remained above the EU average (64.5% compared with 57.3%), reflecting the lack of domestic fossil fuel production and the still significant role of oil, particularly in transport.
