Best start to the year for “renewables”

Electricity production in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) increased by 2.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period last year. According to data released this Monday by the Madeira Regional Statistics Directorate (DREM), this growth represents the best start of the year in the renewable energy sector since the beginning of the statistical series in 2009.

Between January and March, the share of renewable sources in electricity production reached 47.8 per cent, surpassing the previous record of 45.3 per cent set in the first quarter of 2022.

The growth was mainly due to the strong increase in hydroelectric production, which rose 64.5 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2024, and the contribution of urban solid waste, which rose 14.9 per cent. On the other hand, there were decreases in energy production from wind (-20.7%), thermal (-3.0%) and photovoltaic (-0.1%) sources.

Despite this favourable trend in renewables, production from thermal sources continues to account for the largest share of total energy emitted in the region, although it fell from 55.2% to 52.2% over the course of a year.

Natural gas also remained a relevant source for electricity production in Madeira, accounting for 17.6 per cent of the total in the first quarter of 2025, a value similar to that recorded in the same period of 2024 (17.5%).

DREM points out that, in 16 years of records, the percentage of renewable energies in the regional energy mix has never been as high as it is at the beginning of 2025, signalling an increase in the contribution of clean sources to electricity production in the region.