Rui Castro, INESC-ID Researcher under the Sustainable Power Systems Scientific Area, and Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, authored an opinion article, published in the newspaper “Jornal i”, titled “Electrification of consumption: an urgent need” (Eletrificação dos consumos: uma necessidade urgente).

In this article, Rui Castro raises concerns about future national electric energy consumption, noting that if the National Energy and Climate Plan is successful, the installed capacity in the National Electricity System (SEN) will double by 2030, greatly surpassing current demand.

“We may have a problem of lack of consumption as early as 2030 if measures are not taken to promote the electrification of consumption, particularly in transport.”, states Rui Castro.

According to the researcher, while these ambitious plans are a step in the right direction, they create a need for consumption of the produced energy. As Spain is also heavily investing in the installation of Renewable Energy Resources, exportation to Portugal’s neighbour country is hardly a viable option. Therefore, besides the natural intake from economy, families and industry, it is crucial to consider non-conventional intakes such as pumped hydroelectric power plants, and other innovative solutions.

Additionally, Rui Castro  highlights two case studies to illustrate the issue, including a study carried out by a team at Instituto Superior Técnico, aiming to assess the needs for flexible power in 2030. Both cases show a probability for lack of consumption as early as 2030 if measures are not taken to promote the electrification of consumption. 

Full article here (PT)

(image source: Generative AI)